


Sharing is Caring

by OlwenWhiteTrack



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game)
Genre: Anxiety, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Romance, Banter, Crew as Family, F/M, Mild Smut, Not Canon Compliant, Original Character(s), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Resolved Sexual Tension, Sexual Content, Sharing, Slow Build, Slow Burn, thirst for ginger jedi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:14:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 48,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22980820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OlwenWhiteTrack/pseuds/OlwenWhiteTrack
Summary: -“Is that a fruit cup?” His voice was grave.“No!” She practically yelled. Cal flinched at her volume but smiled widely at her terrible lie. He crossed over to her in large strides. Kore clutched the cup to her chest covetously trying and failing not to spill.-It started off as a cute one-off and now I'm writing outlines for deep chapters. Come for the saucy tension and stay for the growing together through shared trauma.
Relationships: Cal Kestis/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 55
Kudos: 115





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Cal Kestis x Reader Drabbles](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21869857) by [creative_frequency](https://archiveofourown.org/users/creative_frequency/pseuds/creative_frequency). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OC member of the Mantis Crew gets caught in a fib and is forced to share her fruit cup with a ginger Jedi who makes her pay for it.

The sun rose quietly and cast its golden glow on the starship parked on the outskirts of the desert junction. It was a short traverse to the center of the hub where the ship's crew would discreetly collect supplies before moving on to leave Dantooine in the literal dust. It was morning on the Mantis and the crew was slowly revving up for the excursion.

Cere and Greez were up for what seemed like hours already going over lists of groceries and spare parts to take back to Bogano where they could finally lower their antennas, out of the Empire's eye. The swampy planet had become their refuge where they could lay low and stay off the galaxy's radar seeing as they were all fugitives now and Darth Vader himself knew each of them by name. A chilling thought.

Kore stood in the kitchen holding a mug of caff under her nose not quite ready to face the day. Cere eyed her skeptically surveying that she was still wearing her pajamas; shorts and a hoodie with the drawstring pulled snug and socks that were too big to be hers. Deciding to give her a few moments to collect herself, Cere turned to Greez. 

The Latero piped up in a way only he considered subtle. "Maybe we should double the caff supply we're picking up today." a little loudly, he continued "We seem to be plowing through it lately."

Kore felt targeted but said nothing, taking another long sip and slurping audibly. 

Cere smirked at her crewmates' playful rivalry as she wondered aloud, "Is Cal still asleep? We have to get started soon if we want to be off planet by nightfall.”

“I wouldn’t worry so much, they’re all Republic sympathizers here.” Greez chimed in. Which was surprising, as out of everyone on the crew he was most prone fits of paranoia.

“All the more reason not to draw Imperial attention onto these people. Let’s not take any chances.” Cere countered. All heads turned at the whoosh of a door down the hallway and Cal shuffled with heavy feet into the kitchen. 

He scratched his head sleepily and spoke through his wide yawn. "I'm here, I'm here." 

Like Kore, he appeared disheveled and unprepared for the day's tasks clad in sleeping pants and nothing else. Kore pulled her hood lower to hide her face as she tried to discreetly examine Cal's myriad bruises and scars. There were so many in varying degrees of aging. Greez put down his clip board with a huff to take up a couch pillow and chuck it at the young Jedi.

"Oh put on a shirt will you? Make an old man look bad." Cere laughed as Cal dodged the pillow deftly even in his sleepy state. BD-1 chirped in protest as Greez continued "I sleep in my jumpsuit like a normal person. Ready for anything at any time!" 

Kore leaned on the counter, up until now she wasn't ready to contribute to the conversation. Cal leaned across her to reach into the cabinet behind her. She did her best to ignore the heat of his breath near her hooded ear as he passed, the instant going as quickly as it came.

"That explains the smell." she tossed over Cal's shoulder to Greez, returning to reality. Kore couldn't help but relish Cal's smile that only she could see for a moment before he turned to face the dining area, his mug loaded with more sweetener than caff.

There had been a growing familiarity between the ship’s young Jedi. Kore was flattered that Cal was comfortable with her. Her barriers came down easily when he was around. He was just such a naturally friendly guy, after years of burying himself in anonymity on Bracca it was nice that he felt he could be himself with someone, with everyone on the Mantis. She was glad to do that for him, even if he was constantly pressing on her boundaries without realizing. Not that she minded, he was just relishing the comforts of new found connections, she reminded herself again. Younglings in the Jedi temple grew up in close quarters with one another she was sure he missed the camaraderie. She was sure that was it. It just wasn’t like that for her growing up on Onderon. 

Greez sputtered with indignity as BD-1 beeped merrily at Kore’s jibe. Dritus managed a return.  
"Says the girl who's been up for half an hour and still isn't ready." Kore laughed sarcastically at that before capitalizing on his statement.

"Actually I think I'm going to sit today out if you all don't mind. I'm feeling kinda lousy. You don't really need four people to gather a couple of supplies do you? Besides, I bet Merrin already has half the list taken care of and at half the price too." Merrin left hours earlier with specific items in mind. Witch stuff probably.

Cal speared her with a questioning look and she gave him one millisecond of eye contact before choosing to ignore him and look to Cere awaiting permission.  
Greez was officially the owner and captain of the Mantis but everyone knew Cere had the final say in most concerns of the crew.  
Cal sipped from his mug casually as Cere sighed and said “We could use your mind tricks on some of these crooks passing for merchants. But you’re probably right about Merrin. I’ve never seen someone haggle or talk a man down like she can.” A pause “Alright stay put and we’ll radio if we need you.” Kore tried to sound as sincere as possible.

“Are you sure? If you really need me I can power through.” 

Greez was ready to pounce. “Don’t put yourself out, dear.”Their tit-for-tat was over for Kore and so she extended an olive branch.

“What if I have Sourfry ready by the time you come back? There’s enough pickled zog left for one more meal.”

Greez smiled bashfully as he conceded.

“That does sound good.”

Cal emerged from his room fully dressed before anyone could notice that he’d slipped out. How did he do that?

“I could definitely go for some Sourfry.” He added. Cere and Greez were already descending the ramp exiting the Mantis with casual goodbye nods to Kore on their way. Cal followed leisurely.

“Oh there’s only enough for Greez and Cere. And Merrin. And me and BD.” She joked. Cal let out a sarcastic and exaggerated laugh 

“Ha. Ha. HA.” He deadpanned. Cal stopped in the open doorway to look back at her. Kore winked at him and he shook his red hair and laughed a little. “Feel better, Kore.” He said knowingly before tapping the doorframe and disappearing into the day.  
Kore sighed into the stillness of the empty ship. What a beautiful feeling it was to be alone at the small cost of only slightly deceiving her friends. Kore felt fine.Surely they understood the value of a moment’s peace and quiet. And if they couldn’t well then, her white lie spared their feelings. 

As she reasoned away her guilt, Kore gleefully slid down the hallway on her borrowed socks. Cal’s were just softer. He didn’t even notice when she took them. Like a little sprite she disappeared into her room and for a moment the Mantis’ bridge and mess were completely empty. The invisible growth of the seeds in the terrarium the only movement and evidence of life.

With a childish grin Kore burst from her room and thumped onto the couch letting herself sink into the cushions. She pulled her hood down and from her sweatshirt pouch emerged a sealed fruit cup filled with orange cubes in a clear liquid. In her other hand she held a spoon that looked slightly too large though that suited her just fine. She peeled back the lid with hungry eyes and put her feet up on the small table in front of her, luxuriating. Greez would be so angry if he could see her now, which only added to the sweetness of the moment.

The spoon barely dipped into the delicious juices when the door beeped and slid open suddenly. Caught unawares Kore let out an indignant peep and nearly spilled a drop of the precious treat. Cal strode in already speaking almost as though he hadn’t noticed the debauchery before him.

“I forgot to bring a poncho. The sand is getting all ov-“ He cut off abruptly before finishing his sentence. He appeared completely frozen mid stride. Somehow the the same expression was split between the two of them. Their eyebrows raised as high as their faces would allow, mouths slightly ajar and slack in astonishment. The catcher and the caught. The only sound was the door to the outside world sealing them in with the high tension of the dilemma. The pregnant silence was split by both of their abrupt interjections.

“Let me exp-“ she said.

“I thought you’d-“ she stopped and he continued “…be in bed.” Cal narrowed his gaze as he absorbed more of the details in front of him becoming highly skeptical. Kore’s guilty air was doing her no favors. Another silence.  
Finally Cal asked the right question. “Is that a fruit cup?” His voice was grave.  
“No!” She practically yelled. Cal flinched at her volume but smiled widely at her terrible lie. He crossed over to her in large strides. Kore clutched the cup to her chest covetously trying and failing not to spill. Cal crowded her instinctually, attempting to get a clear view of the item in question.

“Can I have some?” he asked innocently. Always so full of hope, that Cal Kestis. 

When he got too close Kore lifted her leg and planted her foot square on his chest, stopping him in his tracks. He grabbed onto her ankle but didn’t attempt to remove the barrier. Kore pouted furiously while she weighed out all the possibilities available where she got into the least amount of trouble. 

While she pondered she lifted her other leg for balance and Cal grabbed that ankle too. Poor girl hadn’t even realized that the choice was already made and she never had a chance. Sweet angelic Cal peered at her with the sappiest puppy dog eyes she had ever seen, before laying her out with the final blow.

“Please?” A quiet pause. Her toes rapped on his chest as she sighed the sigh of defeat. 

“Fine. Just don’t tell anyone, ok?” His face lit up and she hated herself for ever lying to this boy. If he had a tail it would be wagging, irritating and adorable. 

Resigned, she scooped a hearty spoonful from the cup and held it out for him. Kore didn’t know what she expected but Cal slid his hand from her ankle up her calf as he leaned forward to taste the fruit. Kore suppressed a small gasp at the movement and a small orange cube slipped from the spoon and tumbled downward. Time slowed as the juicy little square passed through the air and Kore lamented the wastefulness. That’s what happens when you share. Before she could scoff loudly and make her displeasure known Cal’s grasp on her leg tightened.

“Don’t move” He whispered with intense focus as though he was balancing glassware on his head. The lost piece was caught in the hook of his thumb between his finger and her leg. Kore froze.

So many thoughts blast through her mind at the speed of light and she couldn’t seem to grab hold of a single one. Now Kore was no stranger to the allures of giving in to a moment of passion. The welcoming nature of a willing and warm body. Guerilla warfare in the jungles of Onderon served as a most romantic backdrop for a young girl to learn the ways of love after all. Living from day to day did provide its own kind of exhilaration, as much as a teenage girl could fathom her own impermanence. But this was Cal! Sweet good little Jedi badass Cal Kestis! He couldn’t know what he was doing to her.

As her mind scattered Cal began to lean forward as he lowered himself onto one knee. His thumb and the fruit slid slowly up past the inside of her knee as he brought his mouth closer to the inside of her leg. The landscape of her mind became a barren wasteland as every last thought fell out of her head and all she could do was gape.

Kore watched Cal lower his head and with the most obscene pop he sucked the sweet cube off his thumb, no her leg. No, his finger. As she was trying to decide which sounded worse, or better, Cal looked up at her through his lowered gaze and a piece of fiery red hair fell into his eyes. Heat flared inside her and it made her nervous. He couldn’t tell could he?

Kore gulped loudly before she produced a stupid sound. He could definitely tell. Did she call him a boy before? Compare him to a puppy? Scratch all that, this man was a villain. Cal smiled wickedly before straightening. The movement tugged her shoulders low, closer to the bottom cushions of the couch putting her slightly at an awkward angle.

The ginger demon answered her dumb noise with a satisfied “Mmm.” He rubbed his sticky thumb back and forth and had the audacity to lick his lips before releasing Kore and taking a step backward. She looked up at him and Cal ran a hand through his hair smoothly.

With all the nonchalance in the world he broke the silence, “Are those my socks?” Cal shook his head at her, laughing to himself, "I'm taking these back". He bent down and hooked his fingers into the back of each sock and in one smooth motion he removed them from her feet. She curled her toes now that they were exposed.

Without another word he disappeared into his room presumably in search of a poncho. Kore sat up and craned her head towards the hall staring at his closed door. Slowly her gaze drifted to the fruit cup, which she had yet to taste.

In a flurry Cal emerged and headed straight to the door in an ugly but endearing orange poncho. She looked like she just caught a slap across the face and would never recover.

Cal grinned obnoxiously and he felt debonair as he delivered his snappy rejoinder “Thanks for sharing your fruit with me, Kore.” His voice was as innocent as a schoolboy’s, devious creature that he was. Somehow she gained a semblance of control over herself and sat up sharply.

A little too loud she shouted “Cal, wait!” he stopped to look at her, a slappable smirk playing innocently across his face.

“Hm?” he waited

“Do you….want any more?”


	2. Chapter 2

“Do you…want any more?” The question hung heavily in the air.  
What was Kore thinking? Inviting the situation to continue this way was crazy. How could he know she wasn’t talking about the fruit cup? His chest began to rise and fall with short breaths and the muscles in his jaw tensed and released repeatedly as he examined her. He did look really hungry. Kore could swear her heartbeat was louder than the whirring of the ship, deafening actually.

Cal turned away from the door and it closed again. His gaze started at her curled toes and roved passed her exposed legs up to her eyes. Kore felt as though a fuse had been lit in between them but she was unable to tell how or when or what would be ignited. He wet his lips before asking “…Yeah?”

She’d have to be dense to deny what she was seeing any longer. That he was indeed NOT talking about the fruit cup. Just to be sure, she threw it to the ground, scattering what she had minutes before treated as sacred contents across the floor. Cal was unphased by Kore’s exorbitant waste.

“Yeah.” She laid out thickly.

In a flash Kore sat up on her knees and Cal crossed the room in a literal blur. Did they call it a Force dash? He gripped the back of the couch like it had wronged him somehow and Kore’s hand flew up into his hair. Kore prepared herself for an impact. It’s possible for a situation to become too tense, the release would have to be violent to relieve itself in this case. 

Seconds before the bubble finally popped, before the race to sweet resolution began in earnest, suddenly and dreadfully Cal’s wrist comm crackled to life. Cere’s voice became a third presence in the room.

“Cal! We need your help! Negotiations with locals have deteriorated quickly. Dammit, Greez, leave it!” she sounded somewhat frenzied, “Where are you?” Just like that all the steam built up between them blew away like dust off the cover of an old book. Cal swallowed dejectedly as he moved up and off of Kore. When had she laid back? She felt a chill as the distance between them widened. Disoriented, Kore sat up and the urgency of the situation splashed her in the face like cold water.

Cal’s expression was tragic as he lifted the comm and answered “I’m on my way.” Though he made no motion toward the door. “Kore, I-“ he attempted to soothe the awkwardness that had replaced the suffocating tension.

“Bring Kore if you’re not far from the ship! We need her to change some people’s minds.” Cere’s voice echoed loudly. In the background she could hear Greez argue before the transmission cut out “You’re just a buncha sore losers! I won fair and square!” Kore stood and put her hands on Cal’s chest shoving him towards the door.

“No time. You Have to go. I’ll grab some shoes and meet you, which would be faster if I was still wearing my socks!” Kore did her best not to dwell on the lost moment.

“MY socks!” he chided her as he disappeared into the blinding light of the Dantooine wastes.  
\---------------  
“It was perfectly legal activity! I did nothing wrong!” Greez argued at dinner later that night. The whole crew had made it back onto the Mantis intact and together they managed to spirit away into the blackness of space. The ship cruised at the speed of light while they debated what led to the days’ events. Recapping where it all went wrong. 

Raising her fork like an orator, Cere cast her two cents “All I’m saying is, if you gave up gambling all together, we could be sure that a situation like today would never happen again. Legal or not hasn’t it gotten all of us into enough trouble already?”

“It was probably enough heat to keep us on Bogano laying low for at least two weeks.” Cal added shaking his head.

“Hanging me up to dry huh, kid? Listen, I like to gamble to unwind. Don’t we all deserve to release some stress after what we’ve been through?” Greez didn’t notice Kore cough, narrowly avoiding choking on her food. “The kid likes to airdrop out of moving ships onto war-torn planets and this one only oh, I don’t know, RAISES THE DEAD for kicks.” He gestured to Merrin who so far hadn’t even appeared to be listening.

She looked up unruffled and contributed “I don’t have complaints. Today was quite fun for me.” Everyone did their best to conceal their amused smirks, some more than others. BD-1 chirped rambunctiously from the kitchen counter behind them. They all turned to him, waiting for him to finish. Cere and Cal both laughed as Greez shot up out of his seat waving all four of his arms at the little droid, who scuttled to the seating area.

“Get off of my counters! Putting your oily little feet all over our food! Get out of here!” the Captain shouted. The rest of the crew remained seated and ignored Greez’s outburst. Merrin and Kore both looked to Cal for a translation.

“BD says his favorite part was seeing Kore use her mind tricks on seedy gamblers in her pajamas.” He laughed childishly.

“You’ve been paid what you are owed and you have pressing business elsewhere.” Merrin waved her hand and mockingly mimicked Kore’s hypnotic tone.

“Wow.” Was all Kore could muster. Shocked that it was finally her turn to become the teased.

“You did look like a real Jedi with your hood up like that.” Cal tried to salvage Kore’s feelings as he stole a chunk of pickled zog off of Greez’s plate.

“Not in those little shorts!” Cere couldn’t help herself. Everyone had a laugh as Greez joined them again at the table. He examined his plate suspiciously but said nothing. With a very full mouth, Cal nodded jubilantly at BD-1 who blipped in solidarity. Kore saw the whole thing.

“Betrayed by the ones I had sworn to protect.” Kore held her fork in a fist, “I haven’t heard a single thank you by the way for I guess saving the entire day. That was all, right?”

“Thank you, Kore. Really.” Cere changed the tone of the conversation to something more sincere. “Thank you for coming to help us when we really needed you even when you weren’t feeling well…” Kore was speared by a pang of guilt before Cere continued “instead of finishing your fruit cup that you hid from us and horded like a krait dragon.” Kore eyes tripled in size as they darted to Cal who sputtered clumsily as he sipped from his cup.

“I swear I didn’t tell her.” He defended himself from Kore’s accusing glare. If Cere knew about the cup somehow, what else did she know? What else did she see? And how? Her face flushed at the thought. Merrin’s ears twitched at the obvious emotion in Cal’s voice. So he knew about the fruit. She stored that bit of information.

Kore did her best to clean up as quickly and discreetly as possible when they all returned to the ship in a hurry to take off. She thought she got away with it too after everyone ran onto the bridge. Cere assuaged their fears after letting them stew for a moment.

“I saw it all over the floor. Thank you at least for not trying to finish it before coming to help us.” Cere put the teasing aside.

“Yeah and it’s still sticky! You better try again after you finish eating. And do a better job this time!” Greez clamoured. This was a lot of guff to take for a treat she didn’t even get to taste herself. Kore scowled but nodded her consent.

“I guess that’s fair.” She forced herself to say.

“I’ll help you.” Cal added as he patted her shoulder. Kore couldn’t help but smile at him though she wiped it away in an instant.

An instant was all Merrin needed to catch a glimpse of the starry looks being thrown back and forth between her crewmates. Meddling was not something Merrin was prone to by nature but the situation playing out before her was too good. She would first learn by observing and then she would pry at the weaker link, probably Kore. And before these two idiots knew it she would be performing their union ceremony under the Dathomir sunset. She beamed at Kore with a wicked and knowing smile and Kore felt a fear within her flare before she could stamp it out and smile back awkwardly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kore has anxiety and Cal has PTSD and they both share one brain cell.

The distance between certain planets is something that can't be crossed in less than several days, even at lightspeed. After leaving Dantooine with plans to hole up on Bogano the Mantis Crew looked for ways to busy themselves. Merrin meditated often. She levitated and small objects floated around her like a Jedi but it looked delightfully corrupt as they were smothered in toxic green light. At the back of the ship Cal fussed over his lightsaber at the workbench, music blasting through his headphones. Greez sat near the holo table clipping his nails. With so many fingers he quickly had the room to himself as small sharp crescents catapulted in every direction. 

What a thing to be trapped in a metal tube hurtling at the speed of light through space in close quarters with three other humans, a lotero, and a nosy droid. Privacy was scarce and in the days following Kore's ...collision with Cal. She felt the itch of a specific sort of tension under her skin. There was a knot in her chest that was wound tightly and it pulled her limbs alarmingly taught.

With impeccable posture, Cere sat in the lounging area fiddling with her stringed instrument. What should have been a soothing tune grated somewhat on Kore's senses and she bounced her knee with anxious energy. No longer fighting the urge to pry, Cere slumped in mild frustration and targeted Kore with her gaze.

"Kore." The young human sat up at attention.

"What? I'm sorry. Yes? What is it?" Cere let a moment pass before continuing, as though her next question was obvious.

"Is everything alright?" she asked with genuine sincerity.

"Of course. I mean, alright for a fugitive on the run from the Galactic Empire. I'm actually remarkably used to that. Yeah. I'm very alright. Why do you ask?" Her furious knee bouncing shook the table and her eyes were a little too wide in attention. Cere sighed, resigned that no more music would be played today and set her instrument to the side.

"You seem...a little tense." Cere made the understatement of the century.

"I guess I might be a little tiny bit antsy. I think I just wish I could stretch my legs, maybe breathe some fresh air. It's coming though. We'll be on Bogano soon. I can wait. It's fine really." Cere watched Kore reason with herself.

"Usually it's Cal that gets the cabin fever. I'm realizing that you two are a lot alike recently." Kore shrugged, unsure of how to respond, thankfully Cere continued  
"You would have made a wonderful Jedi Knight. It's a shame the order discovered you so late." Kore shrugged in response.  
"I don't have any regrets. I had parents that loved me growing up on Onderon and I'm thankful for the time I spent with them and for my time on Mycroft. I learned so much." Kore's features sagged as grew somber and then hardened when she firmly said “I know I didn't train as a youngling and I never became a padawan or studied under a Master but I am a Jedi. I felt the loss of brothers and sisters that ...became one with the Force and I mourn the Order too.”  
When Kore looked up from her lap she saw that Cere was no longer looking at her. She followed Cere's gaze over her shoulder to where Cal leaned in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. The air in the room felt heavy as each of the surviving Jedi tried and failed not to remember the things they heard, saw and smelled after the execution of Order 66. Cal spoke first.

“We're the Order now.” there was no pride or joy in the way he said it but there was resolve.

Cere's expression became thoughtful."That gives me an idea." she tapped her finger at her idea in the air. "Meet me below deck in 15 minutes. Both of you." Kore was skeptical but curious enough to agree. As Cere rushed passed Cal down the hallway ladder, Kore used her eyes to wordlessly asked him if he knew what Cere was doing and with an emphatic shrug he told her that he had no idea. 

Kore had never even thought about the space below deck let alone spent time there. As she descended the ladder across from Cal's bedroom she looked at his door and considered that she didn't know what that part of the Mantis looked like either. Focus, she reprimanded herself. 

Cal came down behind her and together they marveled at how Cere had changed what Kore pictured in her mind as a generic starship cargo hold. The lighting was low, the way she imagined, and there were a large number of crates but they had been pushed up against the walls creating a decently sized square, longer than it was wide, like the Mantis. A packing blanket had been stretched out and fastened to the floor. Cere stood in the center with her hands folded behind her back.

The idea became clear as Cal and Kore took their places, each marked by a length of scrap pipe wrapped at one end with mesh packing material. They each picked up their mock weapons as Kore inwardly celebrated the wholesome smile on Cere's face when her students understood her intentions instinctually. She could count on one had how many authentic Cere smiles she'd seen before. Cal flourished the training tool in his gasp, testing it's weight. 

“These are cool.” he said mostly to himself.

“Let's begin with Shii-Cho.” With a gesture from Cere, Cal and Kore turned to face each other. They shared a glance and Cal smiled, Kore's mouth twitched and her her eyes lit up. 

“Kore, follow Cal's lead as he takes each form. Think of each other as a mirror image. Defensive Neutral.” In an instant Cal sunk down into a crouch, his weapon held horizontally in a parry position, his feet parallel to one another. Kore mimicked him exactly. 

Cere circled them, “We call this Determination Form, the Way of the Sarlacc. When a Jedi masters this form they understand the foundation of lightsaber training in its purest form. Offensive Neutral.”  
Cal lowered his “saber” and moved it into a pointed forward position and Kore followed. Cere widened Kore's stance by pushing her feet further apart before giving her student a firm nod.  
“Very good. Jedi Ready stance.” Cere directed. The pupils obeyed, Cal's footing shifted and he placed his leading foot forward and only slightly lifted his weapon higher. With an audible in and exhale Kore emulated her friend and committed his every movement to memory. 

In the late hours of the morning or was it the early hours of the night, it was hard to know in transit, Cere retired. Cal and Kore continued to train without her. Kore was breathing heavily and sweat poured down her face and neck. On a much smaller scale, Cal's forehead was sporting a definite sheen of perspiration. She was wearing down the tireless redhead, much to her satisfaction.

They locked weapons as the two combatants came together. In an act unpredictability Kore held one hand up between them and attempted to use the Force to push Cal backwards and off balance. She would pull all the stops to win at least one bout with her training partner. Compared to other Force pushes she'd seen, Kore's was barely a shove but Cal did have to adjust his footing. It was a kind of victory. He beamed proudly at her as this particular combo was not something they had gone over and he didn't know until now that it was something she was capable of. He believed more than ever that there was almost nothing Kore couldn't do. 

Before her ego swelled too large however, Cal performed a flawless sarlacc sweep and just like that she was on the floor. Kore huffed in frustration as she had spent the last few hours picking herself up off this mat. Cal extended his hand to help her up every time and every time she accepted, he pulled her up into his space. 

“I didn't know you could do that.” He said as she grasped his shoulder to steady herself. A casual sparring partner might take a step back giving her room to get her footing but Cal didn't. Her breath was arduous for so many reasons.

“That was my first try! Not too bad, right?” The grating tension Kore suffered from earlier had begun to dissipate as she poured her energy into training. Even the close contact with Cal that would normally fluster her terribly had passed calmly. In fact, she took a moment to enjoy it for herself. They smiled at each other, faces close. 

“Not at all.” Cal murmured. 

He was grinning like a fool. How could Kore possibly concentrate now with those pearly whites flashing at her? And those little curves at the edges of his mouth- focus, Kore! To make matters more dire Cal lifted his hand and with two fingers he smoothed a curl of hair from her forehead plastered in sweat. 

“I can do some of the cool Jedi things you can, just barely and way worse.” Kore put her hands on her hips and lifted her chin and as she boasted it brought their noses close enough to touch “I might be a better shot with a blaster though.” She mimicked the shape of a blaster with her thumb and forefinger and took a shot at him. He placed his hand over his simulated injury; right in the heart. “I know how to protect myself, Cal.”

“I know you do.” His gaze became warm as he took her in. “You're probably right about the blaster too. I never really liked them.” Unintentionally, he conjured the image of Clone Troopers taking a ready stance with blasters raised in his mind but quickly shook them away. Somehow Kore felt the distressing pang that shot through Cal.

His eyes grew slightly downcast and Kore nodded knowingly as she rubbed her hand up and down his arm warming away the chill of old memories. He gave himself one second too long to dwell on the thought and regretted how deeply he had fallen into the feeling. 

“Can I ask you something?” 

“Yeah. Anything.”

“Do you...have nightmares? About the purge?” There was trepidation in Kore's voice. They were already in it and she didn't want to ruin a good mood in the future when this one was already tainted with melancholy. The opportunity to sate her curiosity might not come again. His lips pressed together in a tight line and he exhaled through his nose before he gave the slightest of nods. A small distance grew between them. 

“Me too” she said in a small voice. 

Why did she take the conversation here? It's clearly not a topic that comes easily to Cal. She doubted that the greatest trauma of a person's lifetime was something anyone could speak of casually. Weren't they passed casual though? Wasn't it better to share your demons? Especially with one of the few people left who could truly understand them? Why was she pressed by the urge to connect over this unspeakable history? She stopped plying herself with unhelpful questioning.

“You know, if you ever have trouble sleeping,” the words were out of her mouth before she considered what she was saying “ b-because of that...you can come knock on my door. You don't have to go through that alone.”

“Thanks, Kore. I might.” he forced himself to say. Silence followed and she wished she could crawl into a hole. Reaching out to connect with someone like this wasn't her forte. She wasn't sure exactly how she expected Cal to respond but Kore felt as though she had gambled and lost. Suddenly she couldn't imagine how Greez found this feeling addicting and even further from that, gratifying. 

“Ok. This was...good.” She sucked in a breath as she stepped away from him and turned to go. Kore's overly analytical mind became rampant and she immediately imagined the worst, that he'd never want to speak to her again. That she ruined what she wasn't even sure they had. Cal wiped the strain from his face before he practically shouted after her. 

“Kore, wait!” he cried out. She spun around to face him despite the wave of embarrassment currently washing over her and pressing her to flee this situation she contrived completely on her own.

He took a deep breath and didn't look at her when he haltingly began searching for the right words.

“It's not easy for me to talk about...that stuff. It hurts to even think of it let alone try and ... explain it. BUT knowing that if I want to, I can try and explain it to you. That helps.” Kore squinched out a meager smile as he concluded “So much.”

She definitely didn't feel better, but Kore no longer wished she was buried deep in the ground.

“Okay, Cal, thanks for that. I'm sorry I brought it up. I just want you to know I'm here for you. It's important to me that you know that.” Like many of his earlier responses, Cal nodded. This one, unlike the others, was accompanied by a very small but very genuinely warm smile.

Hours later in the pitch blackness of his room, Cal woke with a start. A cold bead of sweat emanated from each and every pore on his skin soaking his sheets. He whimpered brokenly as he pressed the heel of each hand into his eyes trying to process what was reality and what his mind had conjured. The wound on his side throbbed uncomfortably. It was the most recent entry in the long catalog of injuries he survived by the grace of the Force, but not without leaving a mark behind. This one inflicted by Darth Vader himself, a reminder that he would be forever on the run. That he would never be truly safe. The young Jedi sat up in his bed resting his elbows on his knees as he steadied his erratic breathing. 

The low grade and steady whirr of the Mantis' engines was the only sound Cal could hear. He tapped his toes frantically as his mind raced. For the next twenty minutes Cal went back and forth through the steps of staring at his door, crossing the room to stand in front of the door, and then sitting back down on his bed. After repeating the process several times Cal made it into the hallway. The subdued glow of the night light in the kitchen was almost disruptive to his vision that had adjusted to the darkness. The whoosh of his bedroom door closing behind him was jarring but it did nothing to disturb the lifelessness of the sleeping Mantis. 

He crossed two other doors with stealth and squared up in front of the door to Kore's bedroom. Cal steeled himself and for several more minutes he stared at the unassuming metal surface. Not once but twice Cal lifted his hand to rap gently but hesitated. He nearly jumped out of his skin when a series of inquisitive boops caught him in the act of doing nothing at all. 

“Oh hey, buddy. No I was just heading to the fresher.” Some chirps and tweets emitted from the little biped as BD-1 stepped off his charger. 

“Lower your volume.” He whispered before continuing “No yeah, I know it's the other way. I guess I just got turned around.” BD released some hushed beeps turning his little binocular shaped head this way and that. Cal squinted in frustration “You're right. Let's not wake her.” He moved away from the door and an awkward moment of thoughtfulness passed as the droid understood more than he let on. Cal thought he was crafty as he abruptly cut the silence.

“Hey, do you want a new paint job? How do you feel about that pink pattern I found on Zeffo?” BD hopped after Cal towards the work area at the back of the ship whirring happily. 

Inside her room Kore sat up in bed holding in a breath. She listened to the unclear murmuring outside her door recognizing Cal's voice but not his words. Any second the door would shift open and every nerve in Kore's body stood on end ready. Then the shuffle of feet and the patter of little droid legs faded away and the quiet resumed. Her adrenaline wouldn't pass for sometime but she tried to fall back asleep. She didn't.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I took what was a short separate fic and I beefed it up to fit into this story. It is mightier than it was before.

The sprawling emerald expanse of Bogano stretched into the horizon before them. The audible squish of each step on the planet sounded to Kore like she was sinking into a cleaning sponge full to its limits and oozing mud. The mix of adorable and repulsive fauna kept her in a constant state of curiosity and the scattered remnants of ancient civilizations and monster bones alike fascinated her endlessly.

Not only were the Zeffo ruins a siren call to Kore’s tendencies towards scientific study but the echoes of Eno Cordova, a twin mind in observation based research perhaps, were speckled all over the planet. It sometimes felt to her that the literal ghosts of Jedi before her were guiding her through the laboratories and natural caverns of Bogano.

She spent days in the abandoned research labs, sorting through material and adding her own. Slowly she began to claim this space and fit it with her own equipment. The datapad in her hand sagged while her thoughts drifted to her Jedi teachers on Mycroft. Not masters but something similar. If she let herself dwell too deeply Kore would make herself sad remembering the rancors she cared for there. She wasn't supposed to have favorites but of course she did, before her research was...disrupted and evaporated with the rest of the Jedi order. While Kore had only just begun to learn the ways of the lightsaber, under Cere's instruction, her time in the Jedi Service Corps helped her to understand,perhaps better than the Knights, the vital relationship of all beings with the living Force and the complex connectivity between life all over the galaxy. 

Which is what she was reminded of now, in the moment of reality she was dragged back to, as the being most full of life and exuberance she had ever known bound up to her vibrating with excitement.

“Kore, I have something for you!” Cal shouted excitedly. Kore was dragged out of her reverie and forced to take in the hectic sight before her. Cal Kestis held in his arms a fully grown adult bogling, who struggled in his grasp. His face and neck covered in angry red scratches, he readjusted his hold on the creature that seemed slippery until they both stilled tensely. The bogling had placed a small gruff paw on Cal’s cheek pushing hard to put its entire arm’s length as distance between them.

“She’s hurt and won’t let me help her.” He said as best he could with a bogling foot mushing into his face. He casually ignored Kore’s exclamations as though he came in holding a tray of tea. “I thought you could calm her down so we could do something about it.” 

It’s then that Kore noticed the red and matted patch of fur near the bogling’s tucked underarm, crowded by the creature’s fluffy coat. Instantly Kore’s demeanor changed and she suddenly she became unbothered by Cal’s abrupt and chaotic entrance.

“Poor dear!” The essay on an Oggdo grown especially large and ornery was discarded and she rushed over in one smooth motion so as not to frighten the trembling animal. Kore confidently but slowly placed a hand on either side of the bogling’s head and looked deeply into its large black eyes humming softly. The creature became entranced by Kore’s gaze and somehow it allowed her to smooth her thumbs across its forehead, over each eye in comforting repetition. The bogling’s eyelids lowered slightly and Cal felt its muscles relax in his arms. The paw slipped from his face and he watched Kore continue to sooth the critter. Smoothing down the bogling’s large ears Kore maintained steady eye contact while she softly uttered 

“We are going to help you. Stay calm and let us work.” There was some flint behind her last words and the bogling squeaked dazedly.

“Here, put her on the table. I have some Bacta patches in that container on the shelf. Would you?” Kore swept the desk clean and Cal followed obediently behind her, placing the patient gently on the table before crossing the room to a large shelf of unlabeled containers. Somehow, he knew exactly which one Kore had referenced with her broad gesture at the shelf.

“That was amazing.” He exclaimed as he handed Kore a stack of Bacta patches and gauze. 

As she got to work on the now docile bogling, she responded “You can do it too, probably better than I can.” She pulled a lantern close as she parted the thick brown fur. It was mid-day but the dingy lighting of the laboratory cave did nothing to help her zero in on the bogling’s wound.

Eager to help, Cal took up the lantern and held it over the action. Kore did her best to ignore the heat resonating off of him as he leaned in close.

“No way. I can barely convince a trooper to be on his way. Mind tricks have never been a strength of mine.” He confessed.

“Well I’m afraid it’s the only Jedi trick I can manage decently.” A small pile of dirty red linen strips collected beside the bogling as Kore cleaned the affected area. Cal grinned warmly at the crease in his friend’s brow without her seeing, laser focus on what was in front of her.

“You don’t give yourself enough credit.” He defended her from herself, “It’s really strong, without any training even. That’s pretty incredible, to me at least.” She couldn’t bare to look at him just now. Her hand faltered slightly and the bogling peeped in protest at the loss of her careful attention.

“I’m sorry, sweetness.” She plowed forward, choosing not to acknowledge Cal’s flattery. The bogling grew impatient with Kore’s poking and prodding and began to sit up. Kore smoothed her hand over her patient’s head, reinstating the comfort and trust between them, but she had to wrap this up quickly. She unraveled a roll of gauze and began to wind it around the bogling’s chest and arm. Shoulders were so difficult to wrap properly and there was so much hair. With one hand on the bogling’s head and one lifting aloft the long expanse of gauze Kore turned her head to address her nurse. Cal’s face was right there, closer than she expected and she could swear his nose bumped her cheek before he quickly jerked back.

“Hold this?” she wiggled the aloft roll of gauze. He continued to hold the lantern because she didn’t tell him to put it down and with his other hand he took the roll. Keeping one hand on the bogling Kore ducked under his raised arms and tore at a section of gauze with her teeth.

With a mission on her mind she couldn’t dare stop for a moment to consider the awkward contact she repeatedly entered into whenever Cal Kestis was near. Kore neatly tucked the fabric and cinched it with a small piece of scrap and contentedly released a breath she believed she was holding since Cal first walked in.

The bogling sat up and immediately began to chew at the bandages. Kore quickly held its adorable head in her hands and looked deeply into its eyes.

“Those bandages taste horrible to you and you can barely notice them.” She stated hypnotizingly as she smoothed her thumb pads over the bogling’s soft forehead. The creature inhaled with Kore and they exhaled calmly together. She continued “I’ll find you in a few days to remove these. Please take it easy until then.” 

Kore moved to the side and without even a thank you the bogling hopped down from the table and out of the laboratory into the sunlight.

Cal was stunned at the transaction and after a pause he asked “Can you …speak bogling?”  
Kore laughed as she cleared off the table and placed two chairs across from each other. The idea wasn’t completely absurd.

“No, but I think a lot comes across through tone y’know? Even if she doesn’t know to come back in a week she’ll remember that I spoke calmly to her and that we didn’t hurt her when we had the opportunity to.” Kore shrugged before patting the seat of one of the two chairs. “Your turn. Sit” she said firmly.

“What for these?” he pointed to his own face “These are nothing, don’t even bother yourself.” Small beads of blood budded up and collected from one particularly nasty scratch that stretched from his ear to his chin.

“I bet that’s what you said about those too.” Meaning any of his plethora of other scars. ”Sit.” She reiterated as she gathered her materials and set herself down into the opposing chair. Cal sighed, resigned, and plopped himself down across from her.

Before she began they weighed and measured each other with a heavy gaze. He, the unwilling patient and her, the resolute practitioner. She sighed deeply at his obstinate expression and lifted her hand to his chin moving his head this way and that as she assessed the extent of the damage.

“Look up.” Kore directed as she began to wipe and disinfect the worst of the bogling’s work. If it stung Cal made no indication he was bothered by it. Instead he was silently studying Kore’s focused expression as she worked. He never realized how long her eyelashes were until this moment. He snapped to and focused very suddenly and intently on cleaning the dirt out from under his nails. So what if Kore has the biggest most beautiful eyelashes he's ever seen. 

“So tell me what happened.” She broke the reverie.

“It was actually all BD-1. I rushed over when I heard the commotion. BD was trying to fight off a bog rat that had cornered that bogling.” He smiled broadly as he recalled, his affection for the droid evident. “I stepped in and finished the fight but BD was really brave.” Kore was following a long scratch down into the collar of Cal’s shirt.

“Hold this open for me?” she asked and his hand flew up glad for something to do rather than sitting idly. “I do adore that little droid.” She mused as her hand dipped into the neck of his shirt. “By the way, will you teach me Binary? It’s nice that you translate for me but honestly I think you’re lying sometimes about what BD is saying. The beeps don’t always match up and like I said, tone is everything.”

“You think I lie to you?” Cal was more injured by this idea than by the bogling fighting to get away from him.

“Not LYING exactly, but softening for sure. BD just seems way spicier than you make him sound.”

Kore leaned forward to get a better view downward and clumsily cracked her forehead into his. The heavy thud echoed back from the stone walls.

“Sorry!” she shouted mortified and Cal laughed boisterously as his hand came up to her head and covered the area of impact as she squinted tightly.

“She heals your face, calls you a liar, and then hurts your face. I didn’t expect any of that when I came in here today, Kore” he said through fading good-natured chuckles. 

“Well I’m not really a healer so you have to leave here breaking even I guess. Not better or worse, unless you're a bogling. Ugh, is your head made of dura-steel or something?” She snickered nervously as he ghosted his thumb across the angry red lump forming under her hairline. 

Is YOUR head made of durasteel?” He shot back uselessly. “OK, ok, I'll teach you Binary, just stop hurting me.” 

“I said I was sorry!, don't make me feel bad.” Cal didn't own the patent on puppy dog eyes. 

“I'm kidding,I'm kidding, don't look at me like that! I'll teach you binary, I will! ... in exchange for something.” Luckily Kore had turned back to the work area for more disinfectant so he missed the mad blush that crossed her features as the endless possibilities of what she could barter passed through her mind. Oh, the things she could give. He quickly put her imagination to rest. “I want you to teach me how to use mind tricks.” 

“I'd have to think about how. For me it's always just worked. Even when I was a child I did it without realizing. It got me into a lot of trouble actually.” She didn't mean for that to be funny but Cal laughed anyway. 

“Have you ever used it on me?!” He mocked her “You probably have, it would explain so much.” She lifted a cottonball off his eyebrow and stared him down with indignation. 

“Ouch.” she semi-joked. 

“That's not a 'no.” his tone was light.

“It's a no.” Kore defended herself and Cal shifted in his seat. He was growing antsy and becoming a difficult patient. 

“You should try it on me now so I can be sure.” He was almost impish as he watched and waited for her reaction, expecting outrage. It's exactly what he got. 

“You want me to use Jedi mind tricks on you? Cal, it's meant to influence the ...weak minded. It won't work on you, especially since you're aware of what I'm doing.” 

“Come on, it'll work because I'm willing. I want to know what it feels like...I DARE you.” he let it drop like a stone between them, his face serious. 

“You DARE me?” her tone was meant to belittle him but he only felt emboldened. A smile slowly blossomed across her face despite her efforts to seem severe. Cleaning his wounds fell to the wayside in light of this now very serious challenge. His only response was the dramatic lift of a single eyebrow.

“Fine.” she threw down her materials and pulled her chair even closer, their knees intertwined like a zipper. Kore exhaled a full breath and Cal smirked victoriously. 

Wasting no time she pinned him with her intense gaze and all their surroundings fell away. Cal had somehow already lost this staring contest even though no one had blinked yet. They inhaled together and Cal's eyelids sagged in comfort on the exhale, just like the bogling before him. With that comparison in mind, Cal's little button nose reminded her of a bogling's also and now that the connection was made it was something Kore couldn't unsee. Suppressing her giggle was the greatest struggle of her life so far. 

Shaking off the notion that a big fluffy tail might suit Cal Kestis she stood and held his face between both of her hands, growing serious and deepening the connection. She was going to lay it on as thick as possible to make sure it sticks. This was the first time Kore flexed her mind tricks on a willing participant and after all the teasing she would make Cal eat his words. So far so good, he was like putty in her hands.

Kore stood with one leg on either side of Cal's knees that knocked together in his relaxed state. As she smoothed small stray hairs from his face with her thumbs Kore tried very hard to ignore that his hands came up and held onto her just above the knee. He's in a stupor, she told herself. He's in so deep, she could get him to do just about anything. Cal closed his eyes and rested his chin above her belly. He would start nuzzling her like a lothcat if she didn't say something soon.

“No no, don't fall asleep.” Somehow she managed to keep the humor from her voice as she shook his head a little. His eyes opened begrudgingly. Kore wasn't sure this would work and so she felt unprepared as she searched her mind for something funny she could coerce her friend into doing. 

Usually time was a factor when executing mind tricks but Cal sat comfortably awaiting instructions, very very comfortably. One of his hands began to smooth up her thigh over her hip and side to grab at the elbow beside his face. Did she imagine that it lingered and perhaps squeezed? Not a squeeze maybe but a definite ...flexing of fingertips.

The slow crawl wiped Kore's mind and they were staring at each other both with completely vacant mindscapes. The only thing Kore could consider was the close proximity of his face as her hands sagged onto his neck. So many freckles.

He looked like words were building in his mind as Kore was hypnotized by his pursed lips and that torturous little scar. Her trance was abruptly broken as the heat she couldn't ignore left by the trail of his hand sunk into her clothes, wet. She looked down at smeared blood soaking into her pants.

“Cal! My goodness! Look at your kriffing arm!” Ribbons of blood were dripping down and collecting in the bend of his elbow, staining both of their clothes.

“Oh look at that.” He was as calm as she was frantic as he came back to himself fully. “I guess I was just really distracted.” Cal smiled sheepishly at her. Kore considered the possibility for a moment that her mind trick hadn't worked on him at all. That he really was as devious as she had always imagined and that anyone who thought Cal Kestis was a good boy had been fooled. 

She sat back down and grabbed her discarded materials from the floor as she jerked him forward by the elbow and he splayed his open hand across her lap, palm up. Disconserted, Kore began to give the deep scratches on his arm the same treatment as the ones on his face but with the added difficulty of feeling the pressure of Cal’s knuckles on her thigh. His fingers twitched as she worked.

“How you’ve made it this far in one piece is a mystery to me.” She filled the silence with her exasperation.

“Well, the force works in mysterious ways, you know.” Cal countered. He looked all around the room as though the person he was speaking to was floating around and not several inches In front of him “It did bring me here so I’m not complaining.” 

Kore cinched a wrap around his arm that ended at his wrist. She couldn’t stand one more electrically charged moment with Cal today. She thought sometimes that his kind and complimentary nature ran away with him sometimes. He couldn’t possibly know how affected she was by his teasing. Its not his fault he was raised with no concept of personal boundaries. He’s just being friendly, he’s like this with everyone, she repeated over and over in her mind. It was her mantra lately whenever Cal was around, though it was getting harder and harder to believe herself. 

“Well I’m officially out of gauze.” She gave her work a concluding pat that must have been a little too hard. Cal flinched and shook his arm out as Kore stood and turned her attention to clearing the mess on her desk. 

Cal stood and sucked on the corner of his mouth not ready for their business to be concluded though he couldn’t think of anything else to say besides “Thanks for all your help, Kore.” He padded over to the sunlit doorway delaying his exit.

“Sure thing, Cal. Anytime.” She said not looking at him, before she blew out the lantern. Did he do something wrong?

“Oh and BD-1 says thanks too. He really appreciates everything you did.” He waited for her reaction. She turned slowly full of disdain.

“I knew it. He’s not even here! You’re such a liar!” She threw a wad of bloody rags at his head that the Jedi avoided with ease. Kore considered it might be actually impossible to catch Cal Kestis with a projectile. 

“What's that, BD? Yeah, I think Kore looks pretty when she's mad too!” He disappeared out the door and his laughter echoed behind him.

Kore was left standing in the empty cavern feeling slightly at a loss. Frustrated with herself she stomped a small stomp and wiped away the myriad thoughts from her mind about Cal Kestis with the sweat from her forehead. 

“Focus, Kore. Back to business.” She turned back to the forgotten research on the Oggdo Boggdo but somehow thoughts of scratches on a white skinned neck speckled with freckles and the memory of long spindly fingers ghosting up her leg seemed to pester her persistently. Nothing else would get done today and it was all his fault.


	5. Chapter 5

The Mantis crew busied themselves running to and fro on what passed for a landing platform on Bogano. They were preparing to launch eagerly after what Cal affectionately called “being stuck” on the small green planet for weeks. Cal chaffed at the notion of hiding after his years of anonymity on Bracca and especially after the adventure of recovering the Jedi holocron. Kore might go as far as saying he was addicted to adventure, she might even argue that he took too many unnecessary risks and that he was a touch reckless. Which is why he was ecstatic when Cere mentioned that she had received an interesting transmission from Saw Gerrera.

Saw’s band of rebels had departed Kashyyk, leaving the uprising there in the capable hands of Tarfful and the Wookies. He was now on a more personal errand and the Onderonian hoped for the assistance of a Jedi. At first Greez argued the timing and put to the crew that it might not be wise to consort with an open supporter of what was once the Democratic Senate of the Republic and a known extremist while trying to stay off the Empire’s radar. He relented after Cal leapt to Saw’s defense, saying that he trusted the man and he had only ever given them chances to do good no matter what Saw’s personal motives truly were. He really saw the best in everyone, sometimes to a fault.

Cere cemented their involvement when she included that Gerrera mentioned it was something simple. To guide and transport important cargo from one speck of a planet to another even more desolate system, a planet called Wrea. Sounded simple enough, how dangerous could it be when the two locations involved were essentially unheard of. Saw held the coordinates close to his chest until the mission was agreed to. It seemed like overkill to enlist a Jedi but Saw was a clever and overly cautious fellow. Cere was skeptical but Cal was over the moon and so they prepared to leave for Lha’mu.

That is, everyone but Kore. The Jedi researcher had recently had a breakthrough in her study of the Bogano Vault. There was a reason Eno Cordova and the Zeffo before him had chosen the sacred place to harbor an artifact as valuable as the holocron. The place itself seemed almost sentient, especially in its choice to show Cal a vision of any number of futures. What else could they learn from the hallowed space? And could they use it against the Empire? The opportunity felt too large to let slip and Cere agreed.

Greez loaded supplies and Merrin levitated what he struggled to carry onto the ship, the telltale green glow of her magic surrounded her. Cere passed a final inspection over the necessary star charts. Precision was key due to the remote nature of their destinations. Instead of helping, Kore and Cal took a moment off to the side of the ship. When Greez noticed he raised two arms in protest and began to make his way over to them when Merric grabbed the collar of his shirt before the first words could leave his wide mouth. He whipped indignantly around to face her and again he was cut off by the nightsister before he could speak.

“Greez, show me the correct way to water the terrarium! The plantlife on Dathomir takes care of itself so I'm unfamiliar with the sensitivities of these we have.” With one hand on each shoulder she somewhat gruffly steered Greez up the ramp and onto the ship. He threw his protests over his shoulder at her.  
“Now? What are you doing we have to-” He was cut off by the abrupt slide of the starship door.

Kore watched the bizarre exchange from the corner of her eye, distracted. Cal didn't notice a thing as he bulldozed his way though a last attempt to get Kore on this ship with him.

“Are you sure you can’t come? The vault will be here when we get back.” Damn those puppy dog eyes of his.

“I want to, I do. But this feels important. I can’t really explain why.” she rubbed her arms as though she were chilly, even though it was quite warm and unpleasantly humid. Cal took a step forward and put a hand over hers.

“Then it is important.” His support made her glow. He passed a thumb over her knuckles and her pulse quickened slightly.

“I have something for you.” Kore beamed at the young Jedi.

“You have something for me?” his brows shot up, intrigued. Her chin bounced as she nodded merrily. Kore lifted the side of his tomato red poncho and draped it over his shoulder exposing half his body. She took his arm and he watched her wrap a pretty woven cord around his bicep. She tied it extra tight, pulling hard on each end before tucking them into the binding. Cal rotated his shoulder trying to admire it from all angles. “It's...beautiful” he marveled.

The cord was braided silk in a shade of deep dark purple with a single row of small wooden beads across the center.

“I'm glad you like it.” Kore was radiating pride as she continued “Look at it every time you're about to do something stupid and try and guess what I'd say.” His smile went wide, too wide, so very charmingly wide. Kore stamped down the flutter of her heart.

“Thank you.” Cal said genuinely full of affection. As he keenly felt the weight of his next statement, his brow furrowed remarkably. 

“Cere said we won't be able to contact you while we're gone. That it's too dangerous to transmit directly to Bogano in case our communications are intercepted.” The apprehension played clear on his face.

Kore nodded soberly "She told me." 

He hesitated before continuing "I know you can handle yourself. I know that I don't have to worry about you. Just be careful." 

"ME be careful?! I once watched you hijack an AT-AT. No one asked you to do that. Besides, you're the one flying away to parts unknown on rebel Jedi business."

"And without the mighty Kore to watch my back. What am I thinking?" he mused playfully.

"You'll be alright. I trust Cere to guide you and BD-1 take care of you. Merrin, well I trust her to keep things interesting. She's a wild card." 

"Who's going to take care of you...for me?" Her cheeks grew warm. As if to answer his question for her, a bright eyed bogling twittered and squeaked a short distance behind them. 

Kore indicated her downy friend with a nod. "Look who's back." she said with a smile "by the time you return they'll have accepted me as one of their own. I'll be sleeping in a dirt burrow and eating splox." 

"Mmmm. You'll have to save some for me." He then shouted over Kore's shoulder to the fluffy creature "I'm counting on you to keep her out of trouble!" but the bogling disappeared into its burrow frightened by his raised volume. Kore tsk-ed at his indelicacy. 

When their awkward snickers faded Cal started to speak but stopped, biting his lip. He took one look around before leaning down to put his mouth close to Kore’s ear. His hot breath tickled the side of her face and all the invisible fine hairs on her neck stood, electrified. ‘I've been hoping for the right time- uh, the right moment-” he struggled to finish a single sentence, drowning.

“The fruit cup.” Kore extended a life raft.

“YES.” he grabbed onto it gratefully “The fruit cup. There hasn't been a good time to- We never got to finish---HEY BUDDY!” he shouted directly into her ear.

BD-1 appeared as though out of thin air atop Cal's shoulder. Kore reeled slightly as she plunged her finger into her ear canal wiggling it dramatically. Cal made attempts to recover his cool.

“I was just saying goodbye to Kore. Have you said goodbye yet?” The little droid nodded his head and beeped cheerfully. He lifted his leg and modeled a small woven bracelet in a familiar deep purple hue.

“Oh, she made you a friendship bracelet. That's...yeah Kore is really thoughtful.” Just then Greez burst down the ramp out of the Mantis with Merrin trailing behind him.

“Why are you asking me all these stupid questions about Botany? We have things to do.” he shouted and stormed over to the pair of Jedi. “And you two! Just watching us load everything, that's real nice.” He pointed aggressively at them and a purple bracelet waggled on his wrist. Cal's shoulders sagged visibly when he saw it.

“Did Kore make that for you?” he asked aloud already knowing the answer. Merrin came up behind Greez and answered for him.

“Yes, she made one for all of us. They're lovely.” she said, holding up her arm.

“The silk is so soft. I love mine.” Greez contributed as he dropped the ire he was loaded with a moment before.

Cal's head bobbed up and down and his lips were pressed into a thin line.Without any sarcasm he reluctantly admitted “It looks really good on you.”

“Thank you.” Greez said with sincerity, though somehow it came across as sarcastic. This was often the case when speaking with Greez.

Kore smiled broadly, pleased with the gifts she had given her friends. She remained oblivious as to how Cal perceived the spirit in which his was given. Greez slapped Cal on the back a little roughly and twice over.

“What, kid, did you think you were special?”

The pale skin on Cal's cheeks became as red as his hair as he blushed furiously but recovered quickly.

“Ah, I'm not that lucky.” he yammered. Kore gave him an apologetic look as she lifted BD off his shoulder and hugged him to her.

Cere's head poked out of the Mantis' entrance and she dispersed the situation when she called out “Time to go, Crew!” Merrin put a pin in Cal and Kore's exchange of glances. 

Cere waved them over and Cal saw that she too proudly sported on her wrist the small purple gift from her friend Kore. Another nail in his coffin. 

Cal couldn't quite make out the conversation between Kore and BD-1, though it appeared one-sided. She placed him gently on the bottom of the ramp into the Mantis where he scuttled like a bird up into the ship. 

To Cere, Kore offered parting advice. "Be careful. I'm not saying he's untrustworthy but...keep an eye on Saw Gererra. I only met him a few times and very briefly but ... on Onderon he was known to be a harsh man even among his supporters." Kore offered up to Cere, who she knew already agreed.

"I hear you, Kore. We'll watch our backs. See you soon." They exchanged solemn nods before Kore stepped back giving everyone room to load onto the Mantis, patting Merrin and Greez on their backs as they passed. Cal hesitated. 

The restless young man had wanted to go more than anyone but now his feet felt heavy. Once again he stood in front of Kore not knowing what to say. He never knew what to say. With Cere watching and waiting he squeezed Kore's hand and released it in one quick motion.

"Bye, Kore. Be safe, ok?" He said already heading onto the ship, lifting a bag more securely over his shoulder.

"Bye, Cal. And remember!" He stopped to look at her. "Nothing more stupid than usual." She tapped her arm where his his armband rested. 

"Right." he said, a little sad. Cal passed Cere without looking at her though she scrutinized him thoroughly as he disappeared into the ship with everyone else. She heard Greez from the inside, of course, complaining.

"Thanks for all your help by the way. That one back pack really helped." 

Kore smiled already missing her friends. Before the door slid shut Cere shouted after her "Practice your forms! I want you to finally beat Cal when we come back!" 

She heard Cal's indignant HEY as the door shut and the Mantis lifted noisily into the air. Kore couldn't be sure anyone was looking but she waved at the transport anyway. She stood in the ankle deep water watching the ship grow smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared into the clouds.   
Her surroundings seemed frighteningly quiet for several heartbeats. Kore knelt in the mud and exhaled deeply. She emptied her mind and allowed herself to connect with the force around her. One by one the sounds of the planet joined into a deafening soundscape of life. As it came together in a roaring symphony it brought Kore peace and the sensation of connectivity. Bogano was a special place soaked in life; and Kore would unravel its secrets.

\-------------------------------

The first leg of the journey would take the shortest, around two nights, arriving on the third day at Lha'mu. The time passed uneventfully. On the second evening Greez and Cere set off to their beds and Cal prepared to do the same. Until he passed Merrin, who sat at the dining table in low light. Beside her was a growing and disorderly pile of Warra nut shells. She pinned Cal with her heavy gaze as she popped another nut into her mouth. 

"Sit with me for a moment, Cal." she said it amiably but somehow it felt heavier in Cal's ears. He was filled with an apprehension he didn't understand. 

"Ok." he forced himself to say as he pulled out the chair across from the nightsister. "What's up?' 

He reached for a shelled nut and she slapped his hand away, her face serious. 

"Tell me about you and Kore." The statement plainly laid out struck him like a blaster in the gut. 

"There's nothing to tell." He started to get up.

"You insult me when you lie." She pointed emphatically and without a will of his own Cal planted himself firmly back in his seat. There was a charged silence while Cal weighed his options, of which there were none. All he could do at this point was look down the hallway confirming the sleeping silence of his remaining crewmates. 

"So it started with this cup of fruit." Cal leaned forward conspiratorially and as he began Merrin gave a satisfied and curt nod of understanding. 

\---- 

"And so what did she say?" Merrin asked with her curiosity piqued. The pile of Warra nut shells had doubled in size. 

"She said 'Yeah" Cal acted like it hurt him to speak even though he was desperate to share. Merrin let out a whooping laugh. It was a beautiful sound. 

"That Kore! She can be very surprising." Merrin's smile was all teeth. 

“Then Cere called to help at the ecncampment and well, you were there.” Cal didn't recount fully the fallen fruit incident exactly how it happened. For some reason it felt like an isolated incident and he didn't know exactly how to phrase that he sucked on their friend's leg. The more time that passed between now and the incident it got less factual every time he remembered it. He never did that. It never happened. He must have dreamt it. 

"Alright and then the second time. You said there was a bogling and you touched her leg." Merrin did her best to catalog the fraught moments between Cal and Kore. Laying them bare before a third party could be useful. She was only trying to be helpful to her friends, the raging amusement she received from it was a mere side effect. She continued "So what, you touched her leg, that doesn't have to mean anything beyond friendliness." 

For the first time in his life Cal got to dole out a look he had received himself many times. He tilted his head sideways and his eyes asked Merrin how she could possibly be so naive. 

"Stand up, come here." she motioned him over and she rested her hand beside his knee. "Here?" 

"Well, that's where it started." He said self-consciously looking down at her fingers. 

"Wow, alright. Then here?" her hand slid upward slightly and Cal shook his head. Merrin narrowed her eyes skeptically. Her expression morphed slowly into deviance. 

"....here?" She expects that this is the last stop when her hand is just below his back pocket but Cal dejectedly shakes his head again. She was no longer willing to commit to this line of questioning and Merrin slapped him hard where her hand had stopped. 

"Cal Kestis!!" she reprimanded him soundly. The young Jedi covered his face with both hands and spun away from her. 

"I was...I don't know! I was hypnotized!" He made a lame attempt at justifying his actions. 

"Well did she pull away?" Merrin asked fairly, still huffing with laughter. 

"No. Not at first, but eventually yes because I bled on her. Merrin, I don't know what to do. Jedi...aren't supposed to form attachments like this. Not to anyone or anything, but Kore-" he faltered and tried again "when she's around I forget all that. Or I don't forget but it just doesn't matter- I just- " 

"You love her." His friend put forth the words he couldn't. He said nothing. His face sank as though this truth meant he had failed somehow. Merrin tried to help "Unless it's just lust? In which case it may pass." 

Cal was offended by this notion. "It's NOT lust... not just lust. That's not what this is!" He slumped back into the chair and buried his face in the nest of his crossed arms. Merrin searched for the words to comfort her friend. 

"It's alright. She's very easy to love. I do and you know that doesn't come to me readily. Kore is the only person I've met that loves rancors as much as I do." Cal couldn't help but smile at that. He didn't get the rancor thing but he did adore Kore's love of all fauna, no matter how ornery and repulsive.

Merrin, wise beyond her years, laid out her thoughts on the matter plainly. It was all she could do for Cal. "Please don't let the vanished creed of an order, of which you are one of the last surviving members, keep you from being happy. You are the Jedi order now and if loving Kore is what you do, then that is what a Jedi does. Nightsisters don't adventure with Jedi, but guess what they do because I am a nightsister and I'm here with you, a Jedi." He said nothing but nodded as he listened. "I don't know the ways of the Jedi. I don't understand how attachments and support from loved ones can weigh a person down when they are what lift nightsisters up. But I do know that it didn't help the Jedi that are gone now." 

That stung Cal just a little bit but that was Merrin's brand of care. Despite how guilty he felt for not honoring the traditions he was raised in this was a balm over something that he was beginning to struggle with as it grew. 

“I don't even know how she feels. If it's ..the same.” He rested his chin over his overlapping hands on the tabletop.

“She didn't stop you.” Merrin said, somewhat convincingly. 

“That makes it...sound bad.” He looked like the words were rotten in his mouth. 

“You would definitely know if she was uncomfortable.” 

“You think I've been making her uncomfortable?!” Cal's sat up sharply. 

“No! Cal, no.” she cut that string of thought before he could run away with it. “She made you something to wear.” 

“She did that for everyone.” Cal slumped, a deflated baloon.

“Then I'm afraid you'll just have to ask her.” Merrin had reached a limit. 

“Maybe.” He rapped the table twice with a knuckle before standing.

“For what it's worth I think she does, care for you.” He gave her a questioning look and she answered his glance. “Just from the way you are together.”

"Thanks, Merrin." he said earnestly "This helped a lot." She stopped him turning and pulled Cal into a hug. 

"This is what survivors do. We attach ourselves to each other." BD-1 moseyed over from the cockpit. Apparently he was listening the entire time but he meeped deliberately that he would keep Cal's secret. Without prompting BD added that he agreed with Merrin and that talking to Kore and being honest was better than agonizing alone.

“Thanks, Buddy, that's good advice.”  
“What did he say?” Merrin asked. 

“He said he thinks you're right.” Cal explained. 

Merrin's flashed her brilliant smile at BD. “Smart droid.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for all the plot. Regularly scheduled sexual tension will resume next chapter. I think.

The days Kore spent alone on Bogano blended together one after the other. She broke up the monotony of passing time with different projects each day. One morning she foraged for Kalpi seeds, the next day she observed a small school of Para fish. The day after that she caught and salted them. Kore also started to mark off in her memory certain areas and chests that she needed BD-1's help opening. Cal must have missed them. 

Some days were so rainy, so muddy and so dreary that the nearest day when sunlight managed to show itself again felt like gifts to be cherished. There were moments of deep self pity when Kore believed not an inch of her body would feel dry ever again. 

No matter the weather and regardless of the afternoon's activities Kore spent the mornings and the evenings inside the Vault. She would meditate for hours in the shallow puddle of the great round room. So far nothing had been revealed to her. 

Opposed to what she had originally believed, Kore didn't find passing the quiet time tedious. In the more recent years passed it had become part of a Jedi's journey to reflect in seclusion, even if she didn't know how true that was. Instead of being frustrated by the fruitlessness of her sessions of meditation in the vault she valued the opportunity to exercise discipline and focus. Two things that often eluded Kore. What she did know is that this place had something to tell her and she would wait until it was ready to share. Patiently and with an open mind.

This is what she told herself. But as the days turned into one week and then another Kore was beginning to think she had missed out on a chance to adventure with her friends all based on a feeling that had led her astray. As a skeptical child, training herself to trust in the Force was something that took practice for Kore. When she took a chance on faith that didn't work out she felt especially disheartened. The focused young Jedi's days began to fluctuate between hopelessness and holding on as she forced herself not to think about her knees in the mud. 

On one overwhelmingly forlorn day Kore was traversing a small crevasse between the plateaus of the planet's flat expanses. The jagged white stone on either side was claustrophobic but Kore had passed through it many times, a shortcut to the deep water caverns. As she lifted herself through the final stretch she reached up and grabbed the handhold. That's when the rocks shifted. Kore pulled down and trapped herself between two loose stones. Her arm from the elbow down had been eaten up by the rocks and she panicked for only a moment. When she assessed that it was stuck and not completely crushed her breathing became more steady. 

In general, Kore could be a nervous person but somehow she was surprisingly calm during high stakes moments of elevated drama. Except of course where Cal Kestis was involved. No one could strike her as dumb as he repeatedly seemed to. He practically hynotized her right back with his touch when she had played her mind tricks on him. They had just stared at each other like idiots, she thought back with embarrassment. Focus, Kore, you're literally trapped in a cave-in. A quick image of Cal running his fingers through his hair flashed through her mind before she listened to herself. She didn't want to admit how much she missed him, even when no one was around.

She tugged on her arm and a very large boulder above her head creaked. Not only was being crushed a possibility but becoming trapped inside this glorified crawl space looked realistic also. Besides, it was the stone and not her hand that budged. She wasn't going anywhere. Her force push wasn't strong by any means and after a few tries all she had done was rain pebbles on her head and exhaust herself completely. Her telekinetic skills were so far non-existent. It was next on her list of Jedi skills to acquire under both Cere and Cal's tutelage. 

Time passed slowly, even more slowly than when she was meditating in the Vault. The setting sun shone onto Kore's face blinding her as it slowly sank below the horizon, of all the days to be sunny. Night was coming and those were surprisingly cold and unsurprisingly wet on Bogano. Dehydrated and shivering, Kore lost all feeling in her arm as gravity had brought all the blood there into her shoulder and aching neck. 

The young researcher considered that this idea of hers to stay on this surprisingly dangerous little planet completely alone was very stupid. She let herself wallow for a moment until the familiar chirp of a chummy bogling raised Kore out of her spiraling stupor. 

“Hey, you. You look good...I did a good job.” her head sagged. The bogling sat up on two legs and stared piercingly at Kore. 

Kore's mind suddenly felt rocked by a consuming wave of force and then she was not herself. She was not stuck in between ancient unmoving stones, she didn't have an ache in her neck worse than she could know neck aches to be and she certainly wasn't wishing she had gone with Cal to Lha'mu. She was however witnessing the living will of the force. Whether or not she could make sense of what she saw was another matter all together. 

Levitating in a sea of blackness, Kore was shown a holocron. The one they had recovered and destroyed. It came together and broke apart into thousands of pieces repeatedly. And then the pieces scattered and lined themselves on shelves that stretched into eternity, each shard a full holocron on its own now. 

The holocrons began to fly off of the shelves and crash into each other careening around on the wind. Kore's hair whipped around as she heard the unmistakeable deep deliberate breathing mechanism of Darth Vader's suit. She felt both fear and anger course through her before she could locate the monster himself. Not a very good Jedi. 

Suddenly distracted, Kore turned her attention to the icy blue glow of a lightsaber igniting behind her. Not at all who she expected, Kore whipped around to see what appeared to be a very old woman though she was crouched into a well formed Soresu stance. The holocrons froze in midair as the elderly woman, with her hair pulled into a neat white bun and a slight blue scar on her cheek stared down Lord Vader. 

Kore stood between them though it appeared neither could see her. The Sith spoke first. 

“I will eviscerate every shred of Jedi history that has survived. Their ways will die with you.” 

“I will always do my duty to preserve and uphold the ways and the history of the Jedi order. I will protect it from you and from the obscurity of time and preserve it for future generations. As is my duty.” The old woman spoke with a lifetime of conviction in only a few sentences. 

Kore studied her face and struggled to remember if she had known her from somewhere.   
And so she ignored Darth Vader's words that she took as a played out threat he was obliged to toss at the mysterious woman, his enemy across the line. 

“Foolish woman.” partitioned by bouts of heavy and audible inhales and exhales. The holocrons that were suspended in space began again to whip around and smash into the wall and each other. Pieces of shrapnel filled the air. 

Kore wasn't prepared at all as Darth Vader dashed over to her and wrapped his hand around her throat, as though she was the opponent he was fighting the entire time. Kore's blood turned to ice and she allowed herself to be pushed up against the wall. She blinked hard and clawed at the fingers that gripped her tight. When she looked again it wasn't a monster in a black mask she was struggling against but instead a familiar and admittedly beloved face grimacing at her in hate. 

The bright eyed gaze of Cal Kestis twisted in anger before her. He pressed close and put his face close to Kore's as she gasped and her face reddened. Their breath mingled as he spoke into her open mouth. 

“What are you so afraid of?” and then he smiled the breathtaking smile that had dazzled Kore so many times before but now it became something awful and it terrified her. Something that made her skin crawl. 

Over his shoulder there was a small planet looming in sky. Small for a planet, maybe a moon? It was an ugly gray orb, soulless and cold with a crater as its dominating feature. Kore was hated it immediately but she couldn't fight the urge to marvel at it. The epicenter began to glow in an unholy green hue and suddenly it was the only thing she could see. It was her whole world and then it was gone. 

She returned to herself with a start. It took her several moments to piece together the details of her dire situation. It was dark but she could make out the shapes of figures nearby and the noisy thrashing of creatures fighting. Two large oggdos wrestled one another, she assumed over territory, and for the first time in countless hours she pushed herself further into the crevice. The fighting grew quite rowdy and Kore wondered if it had been a day already that she was stuck in the space. It couldn't have been two could it? How long had she been out? 

Kore began to hedge her bets on which oggdo might win this mighty bout when a great bellow shook the air. All eyes looked upward to the highest ledge and the massive face of the Binog came into view. Rather, as much of it that could be seen through her limited field of view. 

With a huff of warm musty air from its nostrils the colossal reptile dispersed the oggdos, a monarch casting judgement over their subjects. Kore may have imagined it but she thought she heard the oggdos yelp and skulk away, scolded. The Binog shifted its footing and as the ground rumbled a small space opened between the rocks that had trapped Kore's arm. She barely realized her good fortune as she pitched forward. Gratefully she crawled out into the open air, like a sailor's first steps on land after months at sea. She laid herself out flat in the mud, eyes fixed on the starry sky and also on the gargantuan creature examining her. 

“Thank you.” she said in a whisper, not believing the Binog could hear her anyway. She was surprised when the creature released something much less than a roar, though it was still deafening, perhaps in answer. The creature trudged away, its massive fin swaying in the night breeze as it turned. Kore clutched her arm tightly to her chest and slumped her head into the soft comforting mud. Well she supposed she got what she asked for and now she had even more questions than when she started. 

\-----------------------------------

The Mantis touched down on Lha'mu. The planet had qualities of both Zeffo and Bogano but somehow even more remote and still yet smaller. Flat grassy expanses with peaks of rich black spikes of earth piercing upwards in every direction. A moist ocean breeze swept swathes of tall grass across the entire planet even when bodies of water were miles away and the landscape was peppered in deep naturally formed caves of stone as black as Bogano's are white. 

The crew was eager to stretch their legs and they filed out of the ship. Cere took in their surroundings while placing her hands on her hips. 

“Just like home.” She said to no one in particular as she looked around. 

BD-1 vented some very fervent beeps.

“We all miss Kore, Buddy” Cal consoled his friend. Merrin stretched and the droid jumped from her shoulder to Cal's while emitting some very deliberate beeps. 

“It's not a contest, BD.” Cal answered while he scanned the horizon in every direction coming up with nothing but desolate grasslands. More beeps and then a trill followed but were ignored collectively. 

Nothing suspicious; but wasn't that suspicious? Cal couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. He looked to Cere to measure the validity of his uneasiness. Her gaze was locked on one hill specifically. When Cal looked again a figure had emerged from behind and it head steadily towards them. With his weapon drawn but lowered Saw Gerrera approached the Mantis crew. 

“Friends! Allies! Thank you for meeting me here.” He seemed too jovial and he was completely alone. For a man as cautious and, well, paranoid as Saw to travel alone was suspicious. “Cal Kestis.” He shook Cal's hand heartily and nodded to the rest of the crew. 

“Where are your men?” Cere wasted no time before getting answers “Your ship?” 

“I've already mentioned that while this mission was of dire importance that it was highly personal.” 

“Personal enough that you enlist strangers and not people you've vetted and trusted for many years to help?” Cere tested without humor. Saw sighed.

“The truth then. The truth is that I can't trust my men in this. I am taking on an asset and its origins must be forever unknown to my cause. I took a shuttle here where it will be abandoned. My cargo and I will leave here with you. Your job will be finished when it and I are safely deposited on Wrea.” Saw chose his words very carefully but spoke with confidence and speed. “No one need know of our transaction here.” 

“Why do you believe we can be trusted?” It was Cal that asked this time.

“Because you're Jedi.” Saw meant for the statement to be explanation enough but Cere plied him with an inquisitive expression. “Better to let me show you. Come, the location is a walk.”

Cal and BD-1 followed without question and the rest of the crew opted to stay with the ship as usual. Before Cal followed Saw out of view Cere pulled him to the side. “You sure you got this? I know you trust him but it's wise to be skeptical here.” 

“We've got this.” BD twilled once to reinforce Cal's statement “I haven't seen or heard a single trooper.” 

“Be in touch.” Cere nodded her head and pat Cal hard on the shoulder. 

Cal caught up to Saw and they turned together down the path that only Saw knew. For a few minutes the only sound was the wind and the squelch of their feet in the dark clay-like mud. 

“You seem to have a high opinion of Jedi. Did you know many?” Cal spoke up. 

“Yes. Well not many but the ones I've met were great warriors. Honorable. Beyond capable. To think of the things they could have accomplished were they not limited by their damnable code.” 

“What do you mean?” Cal respected Saw but felt naïve around him. 

“So many rules holding you back, just like the Republic and its futile Senate. For them it was bureaucracy restricting them from action, for Jedi it was morality. Or what your code dictates is moral.” Saw spit a little as he orated with passion while Cal was beginning to regret he asked him to elaborate.

“You lot are good. Through and through most of you. Well you are. I'm an excellent judge of character.” Saw pointed a finger in Cal's direction and shook it knowingly. His eyes fell upon the purple silk band on Cal's arm and he stopped short with a wicked grin. 

“Though it seems you are a Jedi that picks and chooses which aspects of his code suit him.” He pointed at the band smiling. “I thought Jedi weren't allowed to ah...”

“Wear … purple? No, there are no rules about colors.” Sweet boy, it was a good guess. 

“You got a sweetheart from Onderon?” Saw cut through the fat. What he believed was clarity only confused Cal further and he let Saw know with his confused face. Saw sighed “That's Onderonian silk...” Saw dropped more breadcrumbs that fell short. “Knotted up with wooden beads...” 

“So?” 

“Jedi, that is a token for lovers, Onderonian tradition.”

“This?” Cal's ungloved hand flew up to his arm and when he touched the band and he was blindsided. His psychometry was activated and Cal was in another place, he felt like another person. 

His chest grew warm and he felt that it expanded large enough to engulf an entire planet. He was blinded by and overwhelmed with feeling. Kore's. 

Cal was struck first with the warmth of affection when he saw himself through Kore's eyes, he was laughing. He felt her anxiety as she pretended not to care that he was gone on a mission for too long without checking in. He felt heat blossom in his chest and drift lower and lower as his own hand wrapped around her leg. Finally, he felt fear. A bold and paralyzing fear that comes with the realization of deep and abiding love that builds you up in vulnerability. The kind of love you would give everything to but it would never ask. 

“Kestis! Are you with me?” Saw's voice was miles away one second and right in Cal's face the next. Cal got off his knees and collected himself quickly.

“Yeah. Yes, I'm fine. I uh...didn't know that ...about the armband.” Saw shook Cal merrily and they continued walking. 

“Well if I knew you would react that way I would have kept it to myself. Not much further.” 

A few more minutes passed in silence as Cal failed to organize his thoughts. His mind felt overstimulated and numb. They passed a small hut and what appears to have been an accompanying farm, both fallen into disrepair. The place felt heavy, lived in and haunted. Long blades of grass danced in the wind, their gathering was the only company shared in this place for some time. Cal was careful not to touch anything as his ass had already been kicked by his psychometry today and he had yet to recover. Eventually the pair reached the mouth of a expansive cave. 

“This is it. Wait out here.” Saw held up a hand. Cal was beginning to wonder what he was needed for at all. It was quiet and he glanced back at the abandoned hut. He didn't need psychometric abilities to know that something portentous happened here and it was still heavy in the air. Perhaps it always would. BD-1 scampered off without straying too far and scanned several discarded tools and flora. 

“Good work, BD. You're always finding ways to be useful. I'm not feeling particularly useful myself at the moment.” He tapped the toe of his boot on the ground shaking some dirt loose from the treads. 

Suddenly BD beeped, frightened by the discovery of a corpse he stumbled on in the tall grass. He ran back to Cal's side and climbed up onto his spot on Cal's back. Unable to help himself Cal walked over and hovered his hand over the human body that was thankfully face down. 

“She was protecting her family. Her husband and child, before she was gunned down.” Cal closed his eyes and winced. “There's nothing we can do for her now.” He took up his post again outside the cave. Cal's mind raced with all the emotion his abilities showed him in such a short time and he was suddenly very tired. He struggled to process what he had learned and he couldn't help but study his Onderonian Silk armband. 

From inside the cave Cal heard Saw's voice echo outward “My child. Come.” The Jedi spun to peer inside, surely Saw wasn't speaking to him. This was confirmed when Saw continued out of sight “Come. We have a long ride ahead of us.” 

When he emerged Saw carried in his arms a young girl. She looked a little too old to be carried over someone's hip but her big bright eyes were wracked with fear and trepidation. Frozen with fear, she said nothing. 

Saw walked briskly passed Cal as though he held a sack of food rations on his arm and nothing more.  
He offered no explanation and so Cal was forced to ask “I- is she the cargo? The cargo is a little girl?”

He broadened his strides to shrink the distance between them. The little girl spied Cal from over Saw's shoulder. He smiled and waved at her as he caught up. She offered nothing in return but a dead stare. The look on her face felt familiar to Cal and his heart went out to her. He knew the look of a child that had lost everything. 

Saw offered more details now than he had the entire trip, which was still very little. “She is the daughter of a man who has my respect. More than that he has my vow to care for her if a time arose when he couldn't.” 

“What happened to her father? Who was he?” Even Cal, who excelled in exercising patience when he needed to, was becoming frustrated by the piecemeal bits of information he had to extract from Saw. It was the girl who spoke up and finally gave Cal what he was looking for. 

“My father is Galen Erso. Soldiers in white armor came to our house looking for him.” a thoughtful pause “I don't know what happened to my parents.” She moved her head back to look Saw in the face when she asked “Are they...?” She couldn't finish the question. Cal quickened his pace and used his body to hide the view of the woman in the grass. 

“Well they're not here. No one is. I'm taking care of you now, child.” Saw was indelicate but the girl seemed to accept his clipped statements. Out of all the ways presented, she chose a bizarre hill to challenge him on, especially as she was carried in his arms. 

“Jyn. Not child. My name is Jyn.” 

Saw said nothing so Cal that reached out “Hi Jyn. I'm Cal.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you SO MUCH everyone for the supportive and very VERY kind comments! I read them exactly one hundred times each before crying from joy and rereading them again. 
> 
> I made a Star Wars side blog for this fic and general SW nonsense.  
> https://droidrights.tumblr.com/

The face of every creature on Bogano turned in the direction of the Mantis as it burst through the sound barrier entering atmo; if not a full turn then at least the twitch of an ear. Cal was so sure Kore would hear and that she'd be waiting eagerly on the landing platform impatient to see her friends. He was both wrong and disappointed. 

It took around ten minutes or so for the starship to land and for the crew to pile out and spill into the sun. To the group, it at first seemed peculiar that Kore hadn't met them herself yet. After ten more minutes Cal's skin began to crawl with anxiety as he considered all the things that can go wrong alone on a planet like Bogano for several weeks. Cere tried her comm. 

“Kore! This is Cere Junda. We're back on Bogano. Do you read me?” she inquired formally. “Where are you, Kore?” The silence was deafening while they waited for the comm to burst to life. 

“I'm gonna go look for her.” Cal said as he was already turned to go. 

“Let's all split up and look around.” Cere suggested as she handed Merrin a communicator. 

“I'll stay with the ship in case she shows up here.” Greez volunteered. 

“Aren't you tired of being in that metal tube?” Merrin asked him glibly. 

“This ship? Never. She's perfect. She's home.” Greez's eyes tripled in size as he took in the Mantis. “She's state of the art, the pride of Lateron.” He disappeared into his abyss of admiration.

“I'm leaving.” Merrin said unamused as she went in the direction of the deep caverns and Cere took off upwards toward the vault. Greez didn't notice any of them leaving. 

Cere's communicator came alive with Cal's determined voice. “She's not in the vault.” Cere changed course, intent on heading to the hermit's lab. “I'm checking the lab next.” He said as though he had read her mind. Cere let out a heavy sigh. 

“You know what I think I'll just head back to the ship. I'll get started on cataloging what supplies need to be replenished. Let me know when you find her.” Cere tried to keep the mild frustration out of her voice. Cal had enough energy behind this endeavor to cover the entire planet before she made it back to the ship. 

Merrin's voice crackled over Cal's comm. “Cal, maybe you should check the caverns. She isn't in the lab.” 

“Weren't you heading there first? That's the direction you went in.” Cal paused waiting for the nightsister's response. 

“Yes. Well, I uh...got turned around. You should check the caverns.” 

“Turned around? Merrin, that doesn-”

“Cal! Just go to the caverns!” Merrin yelled into the comm before it abruptly cut out. Cal considered that she may have thrown it off a ledge. He looked at his silent comm rudely and turned in the direction of the caverns.

Before Cal reached the stone doorway looking down into the deep dark pools of the caverns he stopped to listen. The wary Jedi tilted his head lifting his ear. Floating on the breeze was the sound of small splashes blended with a mixture of someone humming and every other lyric to a song he knew very well, but no music. 

Relief flooded Cal's veins and he felt his muscles unclench. It turns out the Empire hadn't discovered their hideout. Kore wasn't a hostage nor was she being digested in the belly of an oggdo. 

He stepped onto the stone balcony hanging over the deep water and peered downward. Kore was floating, flapping her arms slowly to keep her face above the water. Her hair was loose and it made big snaking curls and twists in the water. On her person she wore one excessively large shirt that served as a very small dress and over her ears she wore Cal's headphones, though he couldn't remember lending them to her. He had noticed that they weren't where he looked for them before leaving for Lha'mu. Cal recognized the tune she hummed from his welding playlist and made a mental note of Kore's second offense of thievery. 

A cloth bag rested on a small boulder poking out of the water that spilled over with muddy roots and live snails only slightly smaller than a human fist. The snails were very slowly escaping the bag but Kore didn't seem to notice. She disappeared under the water and came up less than a minute later with two fists full of thick knobby roots with spindly tendrils curling around her fingers. She swam up to the bag and placed them with the others while bobbing her head to the music only she could hear. She also snatched up some rogue snails and put them back in with the roots. 

On one hand Cal was amazed at how many times over she could have been ambushed at this point. On the other, he was dazzled by the candid scene and drank it in with relish. A warm glow blossomed in his chest.

If he watched Kore any longer without her knowledge it would become unwholesome. So he shouted her name but it was to no avail. He waved his arms to catch her eye with the same results. In this instance, she really forced his hand. Polite methods to gain her attention had failed and so he had no other choice. 

“Get over here, you. Think you can get away, huh?” Kore was talking to the snails, oblivious. Glittering slime trails wound about the mossy stone surface and shone on Kore's fingers.

Yes, it simply must be. Without another second's thought, Cal leapt high into the air and tucked his knees to his chest forming a human sized ball. Without hearing or seeing him, Kore began to turn around and face her doom as the tingling of her sixth sense warned her of an impending catastrophe.

It wasn't enough to save herself. Kore was awash with fright and warm swampy water, both flooded her brain. After a moment of flailing and perhaps an embarrassing shriek Kore's fighting instincts came to life. Perhaps it was more the instincts of an Onderonian guerilla fighter than a Jedi that kicked in, either way they were effective.

Kore grabbed her attacker and used her momentum in the water to spin him around and pin him to the boulder, all while treading water furiously. She had one hand balling the straps across Cal's leather breastplate into her fist and the other was gripping tightly the collar of his shirt. She was all fight and fury and Cal grinned stupidly and he drank in the wrath on her face and the back of his head collided with stone. The sharp thud of Cal's head on the mossy rock was the pin point that popped the bubble of Kore's ferocity. One kind of surprise had been replaced by another. 

“Cal?!” She waded away from him and pulled the headphones off of her ears. When Kore let go Cal began to sink below the surface, still dazed.

“Oh, kriff! Ok, come here.” She darted forward and wrapped and arm under one of his and swam him over to a rocky incline where he could be propped up. She scolded him soundly “I could have really hurt you!” 

Cal sat up and rubbed the back of his head coughing before he defended himself. “ANYONE could have hurt you! Do you know how long I was standing up there?” he was still smiling, still so happy to see her. 

“Wait a second! ...You're back!” the realization dawned on her and a bolt of pure joy shot through Kore. She threw her arms around Cal's neck and it was then that Cal began to notice things about his situation that he hadn't before. For one, the great slippery expanse of Kore's exposed legs were leaned up on his side. Two, her hand that rested on his shoulder was wrapped in a discreet medical brace. 

Choosing to focus more on one fact than the other he asked “What happened to your hand? Are you alright?” He pulled away to examine the rest of her for any visible injuries which may have been a mistake as all it did was give him a chance to really notice how well the big loose shirt clung to her. His brain stuttered for a moment before he continued to fuss over her. Cal patted his hands here and there, ending with one on her shoulder and the other on her elbow. 

“I'm fine, it's just precautionary. I only need to keep it on another day or two, really its fine. Is your head ok? I'm sorry I....did that to y-.” She stopped abruptly and stared into his face as though it had changed into someone else's. His smile dropped. 

“Wha-” He was lost and she was fixated, examining him. Cal felt like he was in a petri dish under a microscope until Kore's hand flew up to his cheek and slid down to cup his chin. 

“You have a...well it's not a beard, persay-” 

“It is a beard!” He was defensive and then realistic. “It could be a beard...soon.” Without thinking he leaned into her hand a little. Kore's studious expression finally transitioned into a small grin. 

“I like it.” she said quietly. They shared a tender glance. 

“Good.” he said even more faintly. A silence followed that was somehow awkward and comfortable. There was so much to say, neither of them knew where to begin. Cal broke the quiet “How did you hurt your wrist?” He reached out to take it into his grasp and he examined the brace.

“I got stuck between some rocks for ...a while. Then I had a vision and the Binog came and let me out.” The words came tumbling out. 

“You had a vision?” Cal interrupted. “Wait, the Binog? Is that the huge dragon?” 

“Yes! Cool, right? We're sort of friends now.”

“Very.” He gave her a discerning look and wore his affection plainly on his face. “We have a lot of catching up to do.” 

She widened her eyes and nodded her head up and down animatedly. “So much! Let me get my snails.” 

\------------------------------------- 

Kore and Cal approached the Mantis walking closely and laughing to themselves. Both Jedi were sopping wet and Cal carried over his shoulder the dirtiest looking bag of mud that Merrin had ever seen.

The crew was all smiles as Kore drew closer but there was one very small, very loud trill that rang out above the jubilant greetings. Like a little missile BD-1 mowed past Cal and nearly pitched Kore over as he leapt into her arms. 

“BD! Baby-1! I missed you!” Kore's smile was radiant. As cat-like as a droid can be, BD nuzzled under Kore's neck. It hurt a little but not enough to belay the tenderness. Kore nearly fell over in elation. Merrin took this chance to step close to Cal, who couldn't recall that Kore had been as happy to see him as she was now. 

In a hushed voice she asked “Did you give her the-” but before she could finish Cal shook his head aggressively and shushed her, an emphasis on playing it cool, all with a shushing sputter and a severe look. Merrin raised her palms to placate him and the subject died between them as quickly as it had been raised. With grace and poise Merrin smoothly transitioned over to Kore. 

“Alright, little droid, we all want to greet the nice lady” Merrin extended her hand to Kore, who was now fully on the ground, and she lifted her up into a warm hug. When she released her Merrin shook out her wet arms. Cere and Greez had gathered behind waiting for their turn.

Greez extended a hand for Kore to shake but she scoffed and bent to hug the Latero pilot. His face said he hated it but all four of his arms wrapped around Kore rather quickly. Until he realized how wet and muddy Kore was all over. Greez wriggled in her grasp that did not loosen. 

“Alright, alright! You're getting the nature all over me! It's disgusting!” 

Kore gave Greez a final hard squeeze before releasing him. Cere stepped up and they weighed each other with a glance. 

“Would you like some nature on you?” Kore asked with an impish smile, her arms extended. 

A pause. 

“I will take a small amount of nature.” Cere said in a measured voice as she leaned into a very civilized hug. Kore looked at Greez from over Cere's shoulder. 

“See? Not so bad.” Kore tested him. Greez's eyes were small and black, making it difficult to tell when they were being rolled, but Kore had a feeling. 

“I'm gonna go get dinner started. I'm making Trikaloo roast.” Greez grumbled. Kore nearly threw Cere out of the way. 

“Trikaloo?! But it's not even close to Feast Day!” Cal shouted, his mouth began to water already. 

“No, but we are celebrating. What, are you complaining?” Greez said modestly and tried not to look too pleased. Cal shook his head adamantly.

“What are we celebrating?” Kore asked. 

“Look, don't make me say it! I'll just let you know when it's ready, alright?” Greez disappeared into the ship. 

Kore went to follow him. She looked back at Cal and snidely tossed over her shoulder, “Hear that? Greez missed me.” Her smile was incredulous. 

It was a wholesome sight to take it. The entire crew around the dinner table laughing and soaking in the restorative unity of togetherness. Kore was just one member of the team but she took so much with her when she stayed behind on Bogano. Each person genuinely enjoyed the next and as they bonded over roasted meat. BD-1 stayed perched on the back of Kore's chair, unwilling to leave her side.

“So the cargo was a little girl! What was it like having them on the ship?” Kore was entranced by the story of the mission that had kept them all away. 

“It was more than a little awkward. That kid has the biggest eyes I've ever seen on a human. That's not what made it awkward it's just something I noticed.” Greez admitted. 

“They were both very....haughty.” Merrin added. 

“I will admit that there were a lot of...big personalities on our small ship.” even Cere ceded. Kore passed her eyes over each person as they voiced their opinions. 

“No way, Jyn is great. You just have to give her a chance, she's been through a lot.” Cal didn't mean to make everyone feel guilty but he did. He didn't notice. “She's smart too. She knows a lot about kyber crystals for a little kid.” He popped a fatty piece of meat into his mouth. 

Kore felt her ears get warm as she thought of Cal's ability to connect with anyone, with everyone. It must have been hard for him to isolate himself on Bracca. Although he's mentioned a Prauf once or twice he's never really talked about anyone else from his time there. 

Cere spoke up after the clinking of dinnerware became too loud. “Well good luck to both of them. I don't think they're going to make it easy on each other.” Merrin guffawed audibly in response. 

Cere continued “Kore, Cal told me you had a vision.” It was time then, to discuss the heavy business. 

“Yes. Basically, Vader was destroying Jedi history and a remarkable old woman was defending it. I don't know who she was but she was a Jedi. She was a human with white hair and a blue scar on her face and she was very serious.” 

“Jocasta Nu.” Cere knew immediately. Kore had never met or heard of the woman before the force had revealed her. Hearing it once was enough for her to know that Jocasta Nu was the name of the woman she saw. “The Librarian.” 

“Yes.” Kore confirmed as she sat up. 

“As payment for helping him with this mission, Saw Gerrera gave me the name of a Jedi his sources had reason to believe had survived the Purge. Jocasta Nu.” 

Cal's expression was one of genuine shock. So Cere hadn't told him. Her and her secrets. The sin of omission was Cere's repeated offense. Cal wouldn't hold it against her though, she was telling him now after all.

“Jocasta Nu.” Kore tested the name for herself, “She's who I saw. How do we find her?” Kore was exuding piqued energy. 

“That's what we'll have to figure out.” Cere seemed pleased to have a new goal to work towards. Perhaps anonymity didn't suit her or Cal. “Did you see anything else?' 

Kore instantly became nervous and Cal felt it. She looked away from him quickly and his brow furrowed in concern as he watched her continue to recall. She chose to bypass Cal's presence in her vision. 

“I saw...a...weapon? It was colossal. The size of a small planet maybe, and massively destructive.” A chill swept through the dining area. The weapon was difficult to picture and even more difficult to describe. “I hope I never see it again.” 

\---------------

Dinner was over before the sun disappeared completely. The clouds were aglow in the most intense neon orange and an almost vulgar pink but somehow spread across sky it became soft and unassuming. Kore stood and stretched her arms up before rubbing her full belly with a hefty groan. 

She picked up her muddy bag of snails “That was delicious. Thanks for making it Greez.” He nodded solemnly, too full to speak. “I have to get these guys in some water. I think they're mad at me.”

Cere wiped her mouth with a napkin and sat back in her chair asking “What are you doing with a bag full of nails and roots anyway?” 

“The roots are to make root paste with. It's not delicious but it is nutritious.” Cere's eyebrows lifted but she nodded approvingly. “And the snails are to clean out the vents in the water processor. It's overgrown with algae I can't get to and these guys go nuts for it.” She held the bag aloft and wiggled it enthusiastically.

“Won't you be drinking snail slime then?” Cere asked skeptically. Kore let the question hang in the air as she slowly lowered the bag. Everyone silently considered what snail slime tastes like.

“Anyway, I should get to the lab before it gets too dark.”

Merrin piped up “Surely you can handle any of these creatures here.” She was picking her teeth. 

“Sure, but it's not their fault I've crossed paths with them. I have too much trouble connecting for mind tricks in the dark and they don't deserve to die because I can't stay in. It's better to just hunker down until morning.” Kore lingered near the doorway, watching the sun get lower and lower in the sky. 

“Wait, you're not coming back?” Cal did a half decent job hiding the alarm in his voice. 

“Well, no. Not tonight. I've been sleeping in a radiating room near the lab. I won't have enough time to drop off the snails and get back here. I'll barely make it there before dark at this rate.” 

“Cal, you should go with Kore. To make sure she gets there safely.” Merrin suggested nonchalantly. 

Cere reinforced Merrin's sentiment. “That's not a bad idea. Just because you've been doing alright alone doesn't mean you have to continue that way, Kore.” 

“Alright. I mean, yeah of course.” Kore shook the idea from her head that Cal would need somewhere to sleep.

Cal stood up so quickly his chair scraped the floor, much to Greez's displeasure. “Just let me grab a poncho!” 

Kore panicked inwardly to herself, just please don't let it be the dark blue one. Kore loved the dark blue one. A few short minutes that felt like several eternities to Kore passed.

“Ok, ready.” Cal emerged from the hallway in the dreaded dark blue poncho that made his blazing red hair shine in the most dashing way. Kore swallowed the lump in her throat. 

“Ready.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "One awkward and tender moment bled into another as the pair found ways to steal glances and passing touches. Kore would explode at this rate. Cal could be so cruel when he wasn't trying to be but she would be lying if she wasn't adding fuel to this fire herself."
> 
> The bubble pops for two sweet fools.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuing and persisting thanks to all readers and commentators! You are and continue to be THE BEST!

The sky had grown dark before Kore and Cal could reach the Hermit's Lab. The light from thousands of shining stars and a bright full moon cast a white glow on the craggy rocks around them but also made the shadows seem deeper and darker than perhaps they were. Bogano became a beautiful but eerie place at night. It also became dreadfully cold in comparison to the wet heat of the daytime. 

While they traveled BD-1 beeped, chirped, whirred and trilled to Kore over Cal's shoulder, sharing details of Cal's exploits when the crew had stopped for fuel on their way to Wrea. Kore was learning binary but she wasn't quite fluent yet and so she was forced to ask for Cal's help when she needed to. So far she was getting the gist. 

“An AT-ST, at a fuel depot? How did they even notice you? Weren't you being careful?” Kore asked BD while giving Cal the side eye. 

“It was the Mantis. All S-161 XL's are on the radar now. We should have known better than to stop during the day.” Cal interjected before BD could answer. It made the droid indignant. 

“Ok, ok finish telling it yourself.” Cal surrendered. More beeps and chirps followed before anyone else was allowed to respond. 

“And then Cal saved the day single-handedly while everyone else watched. Did I get that last part right? ” Kore asked with mild amusement in her voice. 

“He's exaggerating.” he turned his head to BD “I couldn't have done it without you, Buddy.” 

Kore and Cal took turns helping each other balance on narrow walkways and hurdle over obstructions. Cal didn't need any help and neither did Kore but why not help a friend? Kore's hand held on to Cal's a few seconds longer than was strictly necessary. On a final wall run before reaching the lab Cal pulled Kore the rest of the way using the force. She wasn't prepared to be dragged through the air and so Cal caught her, such a helpful guy.

One awkward and tender moment bled into another as the pair found ways to steal glances and passing touches. Kore would explode at this rate. Cal could be so cruel when he wasn't trying to be but she would be lying if she wasn't adding fuel to this fire herself. She felt a pang of guilt flush through her. How would Cal ever become the Jedi he wanted to be when they played games like this with each other?

She couldn't deny anymore that there was something ...more than friendship brewing between them, something ...romantic maybe. She could speak with great certainty to that on her side. And yes, Cal was friendly, he didn't always know where personal space began, he connected easily with people on so many levels but let's be honest. Kore had never seen him look so longingly at Greez. His hand never lingered on Merrin or Cere when they touched. That's to say nothing of the fruit cup incident which she couldn't be sure actually happened anymore. She had relived it in her dreams so many times that there now existed so many versions of it, it was easier to believe probably none of them were true. She wondered if Cal ever thought about it. 

They entered the lab and Kore went about lighting every lantern bulb in the place. She tried not to consider the sleeping arrangements for the hundredth time. The room was round and dim. The sandstone colored walls were lined with desks and working stations all covered in tools, graphs, charts and drawings. Kore had done her best to collect the scattered junk and at least pile it in one area. One section of the wall was overgrown with vines that rustled in the cool night breeze. 

“Well, here it is. My hovel. I am now the hermit in the lab. The hermit is me.” Kore spread her arms showcasing the luxury of her life for the past few weeks. BD-1 padded around the room and into ones nearby scanning all the renovations and additions Kore had made to the space. He approved of some and not of others and he'd let her know which later. 

Cal peered over the ledge that the wall of vines grew downward into. At the bottom of a spiraled stone walkway there was a pool of black water with faint yellow lights glowing at the bottom. 

“There are chests down there but they need to be sliced. Maybe we can do that tomorrow morning?” She had started off speaking to Cal but ended with her question aimed at BD who chirped readily in answer. 

“Thanks. I've been dying to know what's in them.” Kore did her best at ineffectual last minute tidying.  
Cal pulled his dark blue poncho over his head and set it over the back of a chair the settled himself into.

“I'm still so full” He groaned as he rubbed his middle. 

“Me too. Greez really outdid himself.” Kore agreed. 

“I could go for something sweet though.” Cal's expression was wily.

“Well, yeah. There's always room for dessert.” Kore began to sweat as she considered all the things Cal could be getting at.

“In that case, I have something for you.” Cal smiled like a giddy child as he rifled through a bag Kore hadn't noticed he brought with him. “Close your eyes.” 

Kore's mind raced but she obliged him. She felt him step in front of her, his voice close. 

“Hold out your hands.” He said in a low tone that made the hair on the back of Kore's neck stand. She held up her open palms and felt a very small parcel that weighed next to nothing land there. Exploring, Kore began to squeeze and heard the crinkle of plastic wrap. 

“No, no, no! Don't squeeze.” Cal laughed “Open your eyes.” 

Kore took one look at the gift in her hands and all the breath in her lungs left her. She suddenly couldn't believe that she almost damaged this precious item.

“....Cal.” She whispered his name without taking her eyes off the treasure. “CAL.” Words were failing her. Kore was looking at a carefully wrapped and highly coveted single slice of Iego Angel Food Cake.

He was was chuckling at her expense. “You like it?”

“Where did you get this? Dex's Diner closed three years ago!” 

“There was a half Diathim trader at the fuel depot. He said he's the one who sold the recipe to Dex in the first place. It's a little stale but still good I think.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “And it's kinda why those troopers took a second look at the Mantis but don't tell anyone. I had to trade pretty hard for it....Merrin helped.” 

Kore's eyes were bigger and shiner than Cal had ever seen them. He knew she would like it but he was still surprised when she threw her arms around his neck. 

“We have to eat this RIGHT NOW! Let me find some forks.” She rifled through some drawers and flung metal utensils around impatiently but came up with nothing. “Looks like we have to do this the old fashioned way.” 

They dug into the fluffy pastry fingers first with reckless abandon. Cal was slightly frightened but not at all put off by the vigor Kore displayed in demolishing her half. She insisted that they split it precisely down the middle. After all Cal did put his life on the line so she could enjoy this treat. When his half was gone he sucked the icing off his fingers one at a time with a loud pop that would normally send Kore's heart racing but just now she was too busy licking the plastic wrap that still had traces of crumby goodness.

“Did you even taste any of that?” He laughed openly at her. 

“Iego Cake is about texture more than taste. You know they use antigrav whisks to get them this fluffy? It's...heavenly.” She sat back in her chair with her legs stretched out in front of her. Kore sighed with a concentrated contentment while Cal studied her. 

“You have a little...” he gestured to the side of his own mouth rather than finish the sentence. 

“Hm?” Kore sat up. 

“Icing. On your lip.” He leaned forward and his hand went up but hovered in the air. Kore instinctively wiped the wrong side of her mouth. 

“Can I?” he asked respectfully. She agreed when she stopped trying herself and leaned forward just a little.

The pad of Cal's thumb swiped from the corner of her lip outward and came away with a minuscule glob of white icing. Kore watched in a way that felt familiar to her as Cal lifted his finger slowly to his lips and sucked the sweet stuff off his thumb. What was it with him and food? With her and food? With them and food?

His eyes grew hot and once again Kore was dumbstruck at how this was the same Cal Kestis that hugs wookies and shares credit for taking down Imperial war machines alone; the kindest, purest and most gentle being she had ever known. That this red devil sitting in front of her was the same Cal that made her forget how to speak and made her heart want to burst from her chest when she looked at his mouth and his rough fingers. And he knew it too. 

Cal's lips flattened into a thin line and he shook his head, sighing to himself. He seemed to have struggled with an idea and quickly settled the matter inwardly.

“Kore, can I kiss you?” 

“Can you...?” Kore stuttered dumbly. She knew this was coming but would never be truly ready. Her palms began to sweat.

“Is it alright if I kiss you? I really want to.” he said matter of factly. His voice was less tender and more definitive than Kore had imagined it would be in this moment, like he had reached the end of a rope. Not that she had imagined this moment. 

“Ye-.” Kore didn't get the word out before Cal's chair lurched forward and he closed the distance between them. His hand flew up to the side of her face as their mouths collided.

She thought their first kiss would be soft but it wasn't. It was hungry but not desperate, like this was an inevitability. Kore became lightheaded as he pulled her onto her feet and so she clutched him tightly to her, one hand gripping the neck of his leather chest armor and the other fisting his shirt into a ball on his side. Was he always this tall? She craned her neck upwards. The loud wet smacking of their lips bounced back from the walls and was interrupted only by the small moans and obscene whimpers Cal seemed to have no control over. 

Cal's noisy emissions woke something hungry in Kore, something starving. His shoulders hit the plaster wall hard where she shoved him. They parted for a heavy second and Kore ate up the vision of his kiss swollen lips and drunk expression, Cal's chest was heaving. He grabbed at her hips and brought them to his so hard that it made Kore gasp. She made him pay when she bit his lip and lifted one leg up that he instinctively grabbed. Did he just growl at her? She made a mental note to bite him at least once a day, everyday.

Cal slapped the thigh of her leg that was still on the ground prompting Kore to hop up, both legs wrapped around his waist. Cal looked skinny but he was strong. He had fought so many battles, taken so many lives.

Kore made quick work of the straps on his shoulders letting his harness fall away. Their mouths parted reluctantly as she lifted his chest armor and under padding over his head, rustling his hair. The thud of it on the floor made it sound as though it weighed a hundred pounds. 

“Where?” He asked for direction breathlessly. She squeezed him with her thighs and he groaned. 

“In there.” She answered between breaths and gestured broadly to the doorway behind them where Kore slept at night. 

In the blur of a force dash Cal let her fall onto the bed and she bounced clumsily. Her lips and chin buzzed angrily from being scratched by Cal's facial hair but the discomfort was delicious. He stopped to look down at her with both hands on Kore's knees. A pause to think, but no one was changing their mind. 

Cal pulled his shirt over his head as Kore sat up on the bed and pulled herself onto her knees by his belt. He widened his stance for balance. Their arms tangled while Cal busied himself with the buttons on her shirt and she began to undo his pants. 

Finally, Kore thought, finally sweet resolution. A release for both of them to relieve the tension that began to infringe on their friendship that she treasured so well. But how would this change things between them? Is it possible for things to become even more tense after this? But how could they put this off any longer? Holy kriffing Force, FOCUS KORE! How does this kriffing belt work?! 

Just when she got the belt undone the clink of his buckle blended with the curious and subdued chirp Kore wasn't sure she heard correctly. All doubts left her mind when BD-1 perched himself on the foot of the bed, his sweet little binocular shaped head tilted to the side in curiosity. 

“Ah, BD! Buddy, can you give us a minute?”

Kore had spun away pulling her opened shirt closed and Cal zipped his pants frantically. 

“No, no it's fine. We didn't forget you were here. I was just....uuuhhh.” Cal was a terrible liar. 

“We were comparing scars!” Kore shouted. She wasn't a great liar either. “Cal has more.” That was the truth, actually. Cal nodded frantically, committed to the ruse. 

BD had something to say about that. 

“Yes, you have some cool ones too.” Cal humored him. Kore was mortified though she couldn't help but snicker. Cal did his best to be patient, BD deserved all the patience in the world. 

“Little guy, can you make sure none of the snails escaped the aquarium? I can't remember if I put the lid on.” Kore did her best to put on a convincing mom voice. Bd was smart enough to know something was amiss but he was more eager to be helpful so he pattered into the other room tossing some beeps and whirs back their way. Cal didn't care to translate and Kore could tell it was slightly rude.

When he was sure the little droid was busy in the other room Cal collapsed on top of Kore with the loudest sigh there ever was. He buried his face in her shoulder and rubbed his nose and mouth up her neck followed by the sorriest groan there ever was. 

She rubbed his head and back trying to comfort him and herself. In a light tone she said “It's ok! Really. Maybe we're just not supposed to-” 

Cal lifted his head so suddenly that he caught Kore off guard and she stopped mid-sentence. He lifted himself onto his elbows over her so that their faces were close. 

“No, we are...supposed to. I mean, I want to. I really want to. Don't you?” 

How could he have any doubt in his mind after everything. After the fruit cup, after the mind trick, the armband, well, he doesn't know about the armband. She never told him the significance of that design.

“I really want to.” she whispered and ran her hands up his sides. He smiled that smile that lands like an arrow in Kore's heart. 

“Then that's that.” He said before kissing her. 

This was the kiss more akin to what Kore imagined as their first. It was soft, it came with a gentle hand on the side of her face, it made no sound at all and it was followed by several shorter versions and ended when he brushed the tip of his nose against hers. It made her melt into the blankets underneath her. 

Kore lamented the absence of warmth as Cal sat up and pulled his shirt over his head.  
“We'll finish this later.” He had the audacity to wink at Kore before heading into the other room.

He found BD perched on the side of the aquarium full of snails watching their slow movements intently. As one reached the lip of the tank BD unceremoniously booped it off the ledge to land on the bottom with a thunk, ready to begin the arduous journey anew. Cal imagined BD could be entertained endlessly by this task and he made a mental note of it. 

Still lying supine on her bed, Kore stared at the ceiling not quite ready to join her friends. It took fifteen minutes to completely alter not only her relationship with Cal but perhaps the dynamic of the entire Mantis crew. Who knew what kind of repercussions there would be? Whatever they started, there would be no going back and that suited Kore just fine.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A slice of wholesome pie to cool off with a dollop of plot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you thank you and THANK YOU for reading and for commenting! It sustains me and I adore you.

It was still dark when Kore and BD-1 woke to get a start on slicing the chests in the depths below them. The extra cold water was a shock to Kore's system but it was better than caff at getting her body going in the morning. Inside the two chests they found enough paint to style the Mantis and BD both, it was a muted yellow, the color of a bog rat's eye. Along with some interesting ore she figured Cal could use on his lightsaber. He'd like that.

As they tiptoed across the main room Kore held a finger up to her pursed lips shushing her small friend. BD-1 beeped knowingly before lowering his head conspiratorially in silent cahoots. It was their goal to leave Cal asleep for as long as possible. That one was a candle burning on both ends and he needed all the rest this world would allow. He'd catch up with the day quickly. In most things Cal was a fast learner, getting on without missing a single beat in most situations. In others he was left in the dark to dwell completely in confusion. There was no middle. 

Kore also chose not to wake the young Jedi knight in hopes of a private conversation she itched to have with Cere Junda. For someone who no longer considered herself a Jedi she was certainly wise in the ways of the Force and not only wielded it with confidence but also understood its ways that were sometimes unfathomable to Kore.

She considered a hundred times what she would say to Cere. Which questions would lead her to the guidance she sought. That she could focus her mind on any concept other than the fact that she had spent the night with Cal Kestis spoke volumes to the importance of interpreting what the Force had shown her.

That was its own hectic spiral of questions and emotions that Kore had difficulty processing. And did she have to spiral? Couldn't she just let herself enjoy this gentle passion she had with him? She couldn't, but she could put a pin in it. Right now Kore had questions about certain aspects of her vision she preferred not to share with Cal.

She took one more look over her shoulder as she and BD left him in the low morning light. Cal could fall asleep anywhere anytime but he actually slept very lightly. Trained to stay alert even out of consciousness. Kore felt her cheeks redden as she remembered the previous night. She was amazed even now of Cal's ability to flip a switch that seemed to exist within himself. One setting was an incendiary and rather lustful scoundrel and the other was the softest most tender and lively ball of do gooder energy. Both of them made parts of Kore ache. 

When the time had come to crawl into bed Kore had recalled Cal's misplaced apprehension, as though they weren't desperately undressing each other earlier that same evening. After Kore had crawled under the covers Cal made to follow then stopped.

“I can just- I should....sleep on the....floor?” He pointed toward his feet standing at the foot of the bed. Cal wanted to wait for Kore's cue but continued to ramble instead. “It's not a problem for me to do that. I'm gonna do that.” He moved to grab one of Kore's pillows.  
She put her hand on his arm and gave him a look that struggled to understand his actions in this moment. She didn't want to make him feel stupid but...  
For clarity, she lifted his corner of the blanket and held it up expectantly. Cal let out a heavy sigh as he kicked off his boots and climbed into the bed.

“I didn't want to assume.” He said sliding into the middle and wrapping one arm over Kore's shoulders. She clicked in like a puzzle piece when she rested her head on Cal's shoulder and placed one hand lightly on his chest.

“That was nice of you.” Kore yawned. Under her spread palm she could feel Cal's rapid heartbeat begin to settle as he let out a shaky breath that shook stray strands of Kore's hair.

Cal kissed the top of Kore's head and in the dimming lights he could feel a smile spread across her face, pressed into his shoulder. Kore felt the intense thumping of Cal's heart start again beneath her hand and it made her chuckle. 

“I don't know if I should tell you this because I don't want your heart to explode but, I usually sleep in my underwear.” Kore teased and Cal made an injured sound before she continued. “Probably best to keep everything on tho-” 

“Yes. Yeah, I think that's best for now. Until we uh-” Cal hesitated as BD-1 sat silently on his charger nearby. Neither of them intended to exclude the little droid. He had saved them each many times over and to demote him to a third wheel was wrong in many ways.

“-get alone time.” Kore whispered into Cal's ear with a raised hand cupping one side of her mouth. 

“Exactly.” At the risk of starting another chain of events that would end in yet another abrupt interruption, Cal pulled Kore over him. 

He became her mattress and her pillow as he tucked her head into the crook of his neck. When they both settled into the best position to accommodate sharp chins and elbows they sighed contentedly and made attempts at sleep. 

Kore cut the silence “What if I drool on you?” It was a real concern. She'd done it before. 

“Then I'll drool on you back. We'll drool on each other.” Cal said with his eyes closed. Kore had been pouting but she let it fade as she accepted this statement. 

“That's fair. Goodnight, Cal.” 

“Goodnight, Kore.” his hands came up to settle onto her back and she could hear the smile in his voice.

“Goodnight, BD-1” She included as she lifted her head slightly waiting for his reply. It came readily. 

“Yeah, goodnight, BD.” Cal added.

A sprightly “Bweep woo.” shot back from the darkness. 

Somehow they eventually fell asleep. In the few hours before sunrise Kore discovered that Cal is as animated in sleep as he is in his day to day life. The cuddling, while sweet, didn't last long. She did her best to accommodate his tossing and turning as well as an ongoing battle for bedding. It wasn't even that he steals blankets for himself so much as he uncovered both of them and discarded the blanket completely. Before she left Kore did her best to carefully place the blanket back over Cal, who had spread like a starfish on his belly, without disturbing him.

Kore wrung icy water from her hair as she stepped into the yellow light of the Bogano sunrise. Knowing that Cere at least would have already been awake for some time, she headed toward the landing dock. But much to Kore's surprise she spotted the woman in the tall grass a short way ahead of her. Kore waved merrily and BD chirped loud enough to get Cere's attention. 

“What are you doing out here?” Kore held up her hand to shield her eyes from the sun that came up behind Cere.

“Stretching my legs.” Cere said as she took in Kore's skeptical look and then corrected herself. “Looking for you. I was hoping you could tell me more about your vision. Perhaps some details that could help us find a starting point.”

Kore almost blushed when she considered the setting Cere may have potentially walked in on before she quickly put it from her mind.

“That's funny, I was hoping for the same thing actually.”

Cere's eyes grew warm. “Let's find somewhere to talk.”

“I know just the place.”

Kore brought Cere a circular cavern where the sun shone through an open skylight and, much like other caverns on Bogano, there were deep puddles of water carpeting the floor. Pillars of stone rose to various widths and heights creating a series of platforms that stretched to the other end. Vines hung down and cascaded across the white stone walls and as Cere absorbed her surroundings she faltered at the cavern's dominating feature. 

The massive terrestrial lizard she had only ever seen in the misty distance was looking down into the cylindrical space. Cere was taken slightly aback but she took her cues from Kore who only smiled upward as she hopped across the driest stones. The vines swayed with the inward and exhaling breaths of the mighty creature and even brave BD-1 shrunk back slightly behind Kore's shoulders at first.

Kore settled on one of the taller platforms and bathed her face in the sunlight as Cere decided against wall running over and opted instead to pull herself up a series of smaller platforms. She wiped her hands on her knees before setting herself across from Kore. BD set his unflinching gaze at the watching Binog, repeatedly attempting scans that fell drastically out of range of the creature.

“Tell me what's on your mind” Cere began.

Kore wasn't sure where to start. “I have questions I guess about interpreting the visions with accuracy. I felt so sure of the Force's message at first but the farther I get from the moment I saw it, the less sure I am of what our goal actually is.” Cere nodded in sympathy. She could tell that understanding that the Force worked in grays rather than black and white was something Kore struggled with.

“And I...excluded something that frightened me.” Kore continued. “Though there's no validity to it at all, barely worth mentioning. It almost invalidates everything else I saw.” Her analytical mind had reduced the spirituality of the experience to causes and effects.

“Well, what is it you saw?” Cere was truly interested, even more so when she saw Kore's hesitation.

“I watched Darth Vader battle with Jocasta Nu. He put his hands around her throat and they became wrapped around my throat. I was Nu and then Vader was …” she gestured towards the gaping cavern as though he was standing somewhere in it. “Cal.” Kore forced herself to say his name. 

As Cere listened, the corners of her mouth lowered into a frown and Kore continued “He was like I've never seen him. Full of rage and hate but worse than that he kind of rejoiced in it. He wanted to hurt me.”

“That doesn't sound like our Cal.” Cere added.

“He asked me what I was so afraid of and then we both sort of cowered in the shadow of the ...I don't know what to call it, the weapon planet. When I think back on it now it feels more like a child's nightmare than a vision from the Force that I'm meant to understand. Let alone act on.”

A silence passed between them as Cere chewed on her thoughts and this new information. Her eyes darted back and forth across the empty grass before them as though she was studying a detailed map only she could see.

BD-1 had begun to drift further and further away. Kore found his curiosity charming, especially when he had spent what she assumed were years alone on this planet he still chased every fish and every fly to see where it would go.

Kore's shoulders began to sink when she considered that perhaps no one could help her understand this vision when Cere finally piped up.

“The Force can show us events that have passed, things as they are in the present across great distances, and not only the future but potential futures that may never come to be. Warnings about your inner most self and also about things much larger than you as a single person. The macro, the micro is all connected.”

BD-1 emitted a series of loud chirps and beeps but Kore and Cere both were so focused on each other that they hadn't heard. When he scrambled eagerly from the cavern, Kore assumed Cal was finally awake. She stamped down the surge of excitement that spiked through her as she retrained her thoughts on Cere.

Kore felt her faith in the Force shrinking, though it was something she wanted to believe in passionately. “So my vision is about everything and nothing.” She deflated. Cere knew the girl wasn't trying to be difficult on purpose, even for herself the Force was a source of great frustration.

“In this context you've described, it's possible that Cal's presence in your vision doesn't say as much about him as it does about your own fears.”

“Isn't that what nightmares are for? What separates this vision from a bad dream?” It was Kore's nature to challenge Cere's wisdom, even when she sought it out for herself.

“Would you have examined a simple nightmare as deeply as you have this vision? The Force is trying to tell you something about yourself and you won't listen if you write it off as a silly dream.”

“I'm afraid of Cal? He would never hurt me.” she said obstinately. The thought was preposterous. 

Cere tapped into her seemingly endless well of patience. She must have been an excellent Master to her padawans, or would have been. 

“Maybe it's the reverse and perhaps you're afraid of hurting him. It means what you take from it, Kore. That's not something I can answer for you.”

Gears clicked into place in Kore's mind and she suddenly understood too well what she was being told about herself, especially when she held it up to the light of the previous evening. Cere had hit that nail on the head and Kore didn't care to let her know it.

“Alright, fine, I have a lot to think about.” 

Up until now the Binog had been silent, dozing in the heat of the day as the sun climbed higher and higher into the sky. The day was beginning to grow warmer than almost any other Kore had experienced so far. Pebbles cascaded down the vine covered facade as the colossal creature shifted and made itself more comfortable. 

She ruminated over her next words carefully and decided against levity. “I know that I'm the one who suggested it but, is finding Jocasta Nu really what the Force is guiding us towards? How will one librarian help us in our fight against the Empire?” 

Cere smiled softly as though she was endeared by Kore asking a question she had already asked herself many times. 

“As long as the librarian lives then at least part of library does also.”

Uncharacteristically, Cere placed her hand over Kore's, resting on her knee. It prompted Kore to look at Cere, really look at her. Her eyes were full of hope. Kore considered whether or not this was characteristic of Cere and she decided that it was.

Cere was solemn and focused and yes, she could be cynical; she had secrets and she held them close. Every action she took and every word that she said had purpose behind it. It was the undying hope of this woman that found Cal and pursued the herculean task of Eno Cordova's Jedi holocron. Even now in the face of being hunted by the Jedi Killer Darth Vader and the entirety of the Galactic Empire she kept hope. Hope that her fate and those of her brothers and sisters in the Jedi Order hadn't been cast for nothing. 

It wasn't vengeance Cere sought exactly, that wasn't the Jedi way, but meaning. She believed and desperately hoped that her suffering, Trilla's suffering, had a meaning. One that she chose to believe would lead to balance in the Force.  
“We've already chosen to protect future generations from the same fate suffered by the Jedi. The holocron is gone. But for us, the Jedi left behind, there is nothing left but to fight however we can. The Empire is already looking for us, what do we have to loose other than an opportunity to do something good?” She sounded like Cal. 

“If you saw that Jocasta Nu is or was or will be in danger, then we should help her.” She ended the matter so simply. Kore was suddenly filled with admiration for Cere. She reaffirmed in her heart that Cere's goals were her own. 

“You're right. Of course you are. Thank you, Cere. This was enlightening.” She squeezed the older woman's hand. When Cere leaned forward to embrace her, Kore considered that she didn't know Cere as well as she thought. 

“I'm glad.” The older woman said as she pulled Kore up onto her feet and they headed toward the Mantis together.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Master Kestis, what animal represents Soresu Form?” Kore's tone was teasing but she was genuinely curious. Cal disguised his sputter by clearing his throat. He spun away from his students to hide the slight blush he failed to suppress when Kore used the title he once dreamed about. 
> 
> Some cute stuff and some serious stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading and commenting! You have become very dear to me!

Kore was beyond grateful for the Mantis when she stepped out of the sweltering heat of the day and into the cool conditioned air with Cere. She wiped the sweat off her brow and fanned herself uselessly with a limp wrist before she collapsed into the seating area. 

Behind her there was a crowd of three gathered around the terrarium. Merrin stood with her arms full of small soddy plants. Little clods of soil tumbled down her arms and the exasperation on her face was palpable as she tried her best to stay excluded from the heated back and forth between Greez and Cal. The latter was laid out on his back, top half hidden underneath the terrarium tinkering.  
“Just tell me one more time. We're turning up the humidity on the two in the middle?” Cal clarified. 

“Yes. For the featherfern and the kalpi.” Greez hovered over Cal casting a small shadow over him. “And turn down the irrigation for the Dreamwort, the soil is too moist.” 

“Which one is that?” Cal's voice was muffled by the mechanics around him.

“Third from the right! Come on, kid.” Greez was growing impatient. 

Cal lifted his head out from under the hydraulic system. “Did you want to do this yourself?” He asked calmly.

“You know I have a bad back.” Greez chirped defensively.

Merrin chose this moment to interject, “And remember the Mushlings shouldn't have any other plants on either side. They will strangle surrounding roots.” 

Greeze pondered this new information begrudgingly when Cal noticed Kore had joined the scene and he lifted himself off the floor. 

“She's right.” Greez tapped his chin in consideration. “Hey where are you going? We're not done here.” 

Cal dusted himself off with a backward glance at Greez. “Just let me know when you've figured out where everything goes. I'll change whatever you want, Greez.” 

The Latero scoffed and continued plotting with Merrin where to best place their dug up plant babies. A most heated debate ensued. 

Cal slumped down hard onto the couch near Kore's outstretched legs, jostling her.  
“Morning.” he grinned at her like a dope and she rewarded him with a dirty look for forcing her to sit up. She did her best but failed to hide the quick flash of a grin. 

Cere tossed a freshly hydrated portion bread at Kore her before sitting herself herself across from them.

“Most important meal of the day.” Cere honored her unofficial designation as mom of the crew. 

Kore thanked her and with her mouth full of green bread she huffed “It's getting sooo hot outside.” 

“I'm hearing we should go swimming.” Cal suggested, somehow keeping all the deviousness Kore knew was there out of his voice. 

Before Kore could retort Cere cut in “After a training session?” Both of the young Jedi's faces lit up settling the matter. “The heat will be a valuable tool in testing your focus...Kore.” 

Kore felt targeted by Cere's statement even before her name was mentioned. She let out an audible groan but made no attempt at dodging the activity, trudging resignedly behind Cal towards the door as he laughed at her.

Surprisingly, Merrin called after them abandoning Greez to sort out the mess of dug up terrarium holes.  
“I'd like to join you!” she shouted a little too loudly as she unloaded her armful of plants. “Please let me join you.” The three Jedi stopped abruptly and before anyone could answer, or Greez could object, Kore grabbed Merrin's arm and pulled her outside with them.

“Of course, let's go!” 

BD-1 walked along the ledge of the terrarium and probed one of the plots with his foot, trilling.

“BD says he'll help you adjust the settings, Greez.” Cal translated quickly as he walked backwards off the ship. 

“Alright, well thanks.” Greez looked sheepishly at the droid. Their relationship wasn't always smooth but Greez was grateful to those who helped him, even if he'd never ask.

Cere stopped in the open doorway when she heard a beep echo from the cockpit. When she looked back a small red light twinkled on her dashboard.

“It could be an informant. I put out feelers for Nu.” Cere's decision to stay was made.“Cal, you're leading the lesson. Soresu Form.” 

From the bottom of the ramp he agreed and held out his hand. “Blaster?” 

Cere unclipped the DL-44 heavy blaster pistol from her belt and dropped it into Cal's upturned palm. They're always heavier than he remembered. Kore had retrieved the two fabricated weapons they had practiced with before and together the three of them settled into the muddy area at the base of the Vault hill. 

The sun beamed down on the trio and immediately Kore felt sticky all over. She lifted her hand over her eyes shielding them from the brightness of the sun. Already she felt the pinch of a headache sprout like a seed in her forehead from squinting so much.

Cal took point and stood before Merrin and Kore, a sheen of sweat gathering on his forehead. His demeanor felt changed from friendly airy Cal to Cal the instructor, whose posture was rigid and whose gaze placed a weight on you. Merrin tossed Kore a goofy look but snapped to attention as she noticed Cal's heavy attention. He narrowed his eyes as he tossed the blaster in her direction. Merrin caught the weapon deftly but wasn't sure what she should do with it. 

Kore couldn't help the flush of excitement that swept through her when Cal ignited his lightsaber. He held it horizontally across his guard, lighting his face up in a bright cyan. 

“Soresu Form is a defensive response to ranged weaponry. For us that means blaster fire mostly.” His voice was grave and he sunk into a low crouch. “Merrin?” he was inviting her to shoot at him. 

You'd think she would hesitate for even a moment before she made an attempt on her friend's life using live ammo but she didn't. Cal supposed he should be flattered by her belief in his skills. 

Merrin fired twice at Cal's head and before Kore could gasp each bolt came back at them knocking the lowered practice weapons from Kore and Merrin's unsuspecting hands. Smoke lifted off the burn mark left behind on Kore's weapon as she picked it up out of the muddy grass and blew on it. Kore had seen Cal in action many times before and every time he ignited his saber it was always absolutely necessary, a last resort even, but that doesn't mean he wasn't impressive with it. 

“Conserve your movements, keep them tight but effective. Deflecting blaster fire can be as easy as the flick of your wrist and eventually becomes second nature. I've done it without even realizing.” Cal lectured. Merrin seemed very interested in that last fact and highly skeptical. 

She was the only one that seemed unbothered by the heat. Kore couldn't understand how, when she was one more trail of sweat away from laying in the mud they were standing in.

“Master Kestis, what animal represents Soresu Form?” Kore's tone was teasing but she was genuinely curious. Cal disguised his sputter by clearing his throat. He spun away from his students to hide the slight blush he failed to suppress when Kore used the title he once dreamed about. 

“It's a ...flying one.” Cal snapped his fingers as though the sound would jolt his memory. He actively tried not to recall this information for the past five years but Jaro Topal had taught Cal too well. 

Merrin used this opportunity to truly test Cal's earlier claim, the extent of his second nature. After watching him like a predator she spun in place and let loose a loud “ha HA!” before she sent a bolt of plasma careening towards Cal's feet. An area with no vital organs, in case he was a liar.

It splashed into the shallow water in front of her before she even registered the flourish of Cal's wrist. Returned instantly. 

“Mynocks! The way of the mynock.” He smiled at Kore and then lolled his head slowly to the side staring Merrin down. The nightsister was unshakeable as always but she nodded in approval first at the blaster in her hand and then again at Cal Kestis, the well trained Jedi.

The danger was over before it began and the delayed adrenaline of it made Kore giddy. She delighted in Merrin's audaciousness only because Cal's foot didn't have a hole in it. After wiping sweat off her lip with the back of her hand she leveled him with her gaze, “Show me.” 

Merrin was very happy to contribute by way of shooting at her friends repeatedly. Kore mirrored Cal's stances as he deflected one bolt after another. By late morning the time came for teacher to hand his lightsaber over to student so she could put what she learned to practice with the actual tools they were meant for. Cal stood to the side at half distance between Merrin and Kore with intentions to slow the blaster bolt, minimizing the danger. 

In another place and time they would be using a floating training remote to test Kore's skills and if she failed the penalty would be a small sting. She would also be blindfolded. For now this would have to do. Cal was confident in Kore's ability and his own to keep her safe. Merrin raised a green barrier in front of herself as a precaution. 

“Alright, ready?” Merrin waited for confirming nods from both her teammates. Time slowed for Kore before Cal even lifted his hand, her intense focus narrowing her vision. She took in a deep breath and suddenly there was only Kore and the red glowing projectile headed straight for her chest. In a flash the moment had passed and Merrin got a taste of her own medicine as the blaster missile absorbed into her conjured shield. 

First her white hair and then her dark eyes peeped over the edge of the barrier. With an unearthly whirr the shield flickered out of existence revealing Merrin's broad and blinding smile.

“Kore! Well done!” she shouted to her friend across the way. 

Kore's heart swelled at this minor accomplishment, but it was a step closer to dodging blaster bolts in her sleep. Cal beamed at her, pride playing across his face. “Ten more. Let's go.” 

After a time Kore could deflect in sequence and without Cal's assistance. She could sense that it made him nervous but neither mentioned it. As part of the learning process, handicapping her training would only hold her back in the real world against high speed trooper fire. Kore couldn't quite aim the bolts once they bounced off her blade but that would come with time. It made for an exhilaratingly unpredictable training session.

High noon had passed but it did very little to abate the cloying heat. Eventually even Merrin began to wilt and so they decided together that training was over for the day. Cal crossed the short distance to Kore, his footsteps making loud pops of suction in the deep mud that was drier than when they started. 

Kore's shoulders sagged with exhaustion and she hung her head rooted in place. Cal smoothed back a length of wild hair that came out of her updo during training and stepped close when he reached for his lightsaber. “You did amazing today.” 

He was taken aback by Kore's startled reaction. She leaned away from him as her eyes darted nervously over to where Merrin stood. Unobservant, their friend was doing her best to scrape the mud off her legs and almost lost her balance suctioned in place. 

“Oh, Merrin knows.” Cal said lackadaisically as he reached for Kore again but she was hesitant.

“You told her? What did you say? We've barely even-” 

“I did not tell her....She does know though.” He ran his thumb over her knuckles. “You're making a face. Are you upset?” He tried to hush his voice but it pitched higher. 

Merrin could barely hear them but she knew what they were about. “Yes, I know about your romance! Please tell me you've kissed!” Her smile was evil incarnate.

Kore wasn't sure why but she was mortified by the vulnerability she felt. Especially in the blaring sun she felt exposed like an insect under a magnifying glass. Cal was unfazed by Merrin's teasing he was however, slightly alarmed by the pause Kore took to answer his question. He leaned into her view, brow knit in concern. 

“Kore?” he asked softly. She looked up at him and all she could notice was the angry strip of red skin that stretched from cheek to cheek across his nose. His freckles there were practically glowing from being fried in the sun all afternoon and Kore was dazzled, like a fish being drawn in by a shiny lure. 

“You're sunburnt... That's so cute.” She whispered. Cal winced a little when she ghosted a finger across the skin under his eye and he managed a small smile even though he struggled to follow her chain of thought. His hand came up to gather her fingers in his and she came back to herself.

“No. No, it's fine. Of course it's fine. I just...haven't had a chance to process it for myself. There's so much to think about. The librarian, the vault, we're fugitives, and this. This is big for me. I overthink or I underthink. That's all.” 

“As long as you're ok with it.”

“I am. Yes. I am.” She said to him before she turned and shouted so Merrin could hear. “I am! I'm ok with that!” Merrin put up her hands, dropping the matter happily. She trudged over to the pair scraping her palms against each other transferring the dirt back and forth. 

“That's enough Jedi training for me. I'm off to the Mantis, will you be joining...no, I know you won't be joining me.” She smiled at Cal and wriggled her eyebrows at Kore. “Goodbye, lovebirds.” 

Kore hid her face in Cal's shoulder like a bashful child hides from a stranger introducing themselves. Cal shouted his goodbye and waved Kore's hand for her. 

Kore was blinded temporarily as she lifted her shirt over her head but had yet to undo the topmost button. She nearly fell on her face as she gracelessly stumbled out of the pants pooled around her ankles. The discarded shirt joined Cal's equipment on the ground. She stepped over his clothes as she approached the edge.

“Come on, Kore, hurry up!” Cal shouted from the water. He backstroked with flare as his incredibly pale skin shone out in contrast against the dark cavern water. Kore curled her toes around the ledge as she lifted her chin and arms haughtily, like a performer ready to begin their greatest routine. She tumbled through the air and landed gracefully in the water sending small waves rippling throughout. When she surfaced Cal had already begun to wrap around her. 

The water was freezing but after the heat of the day Kore welcomed the drastic shift, or she would have. Pressed up against her swimming partner she barely noticed the temperature of the water. Kore broke away and swam in swirling circles around Cal. He tread water as he watched her with a dumb wonder on his face. She was so graceful in the water, even when she was teasing him. 

They came together and separated like magnets clinging to and repelling each other to stay above the water. The only noise was the shifting water and the deafening silence that passed between them as they exchanged knowing stares and subtle grins. They were finally alone. There was already so much of each other's skin exposed, there was nothing left to do but touch. 

Kore closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his in a firm lasting kiss. Cal sighed loudly into her mouth. “I've been dreaming about this all day.” He paddled the water back and forth with one hand while sliding the other up Kore's back. 

“You were incredible today by the way. It took me way longer to learn Soresu form.” He peppered her neck and jaw with light kisses.

“You could do it blindfolded.” she would never be satisfied with her own progress but how could she care when Cal Kesits was running his fingers along the elastic band of her underwear, testing their boundaries.

“Marksman-H are really rare now but maybe we can find you a combat remote that's close. Then you can train like a true Jedi.” He hummed into her ear. Pride was a sin for the Jedi but she could hear it in Cal's voice. He was an elite warrior trained for peace and while the Order was dead and gone its ideals survived in him. 

Despite her best efforts to keep it aloft Kore's heart sank as she felt the weight of what she took from her conversation with Cere earlier that day settle inside her like a stone hitting the bottom of a lake. More than anything in her entire life Kore wanted to enjoy this moment and the next one but she already knew this would have to happen now. Before their entanglement became too enmeshed to pull apart. 

Cal sensed the shift and his muscles grew taught and his face became serious. “What? What's wrong?” 

The sunburnt skin on his nose began to flake in the cold water. Why did she have to do this now? Why couldn't she let them both be happy? Cal swam them over to the ledge and Kore sat with her legs dangling in the water. Cal studied her face eager to hang on Kore's words. 

“I just...” She paused to collect and arrange the correct words. “I don't want you to have a reason to resent me later. It's all well and good now but it would be natural for you to...change your mind.” Cal made to object immediately but Kore held up her hand and gave him the steady eye contact he had been searching for. It was just like Kore to worry about a potential problem looming in the future.

“There is no emotion, there is peace.” She could barely utter the words but she gained confidence as she continued. Cal recognized the phrase and knew each one that would come after. His eyes darted sideways as he released a held breath. “There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony.” Kore paused and her shoulders slumped before finishing “There is no death, there is the Force.” 

Cal stared at his hands and said nothing and so Kore continued. “I didn't spend time with Master Yoda but I did know him. I mean, I met him a few times. Enough to hear him say that Jedi don't form attachments because they lead to fear of loss. And all fear leads to the dark side.” She took a breath before laying out the next costly statement. “Cal, if you don't become the Jedi you want to be, the one you've always been meant to become, it will be my fault.” 

She began to shiver and realized it must be because they were both drenched in freezing cold water wearing nothing but their underclothes. Cal's lips turned a light shade of blue but he didn't act cold. In fact he looked more like Kore had slapped him with her words. 

He shook his head saying “First, that will never be your fault, Kore. My relationship with the Force...will always be work. It will never be completely peaceful or serene or harmonious. Those are things a Jedi strives for everyday. I've actually thought about this a lot already and I've made up my mind about it.” He took her hand forcing her to look at him. Already he could see in her face that she was doubtful.

“I am always surrounded by paths to the dark side. We all are. We are tested everyday and I believe that removing those obstacles, removing the temptations, the attachments, that's no test at all. And Kore, I won't ever turn to the dark side, because of you. Loving you makes me a better Jedi. The Jedi I'm meant to be.” 

He spoke the last words slowly so that Kore would feel them sink into her ears and believe them as much as he did. She latched on to a specific few words Cal used. 

“Loving me?” A parade of different emotions marched across her face. 

“Big time. Can't you tell?” He brushed her cheek with his chilly thumb. 

“I mean-” she sputtered but he cut her off.  
“You know what else? I know that you do too.” His look was devilish and hers was affronted. 

“I never used the L word.” she contested as he looked around them at the scattered clothes and fished the armband out from under a nearby pile. He held the purple strip up in front of him and it swayed between them. 

“The echo I felt from this thing nearly knocked me out of my boots, Kore.” 

She gasped “That's so embarrassing.” 

He laughed at her. “It's not! It was perfect. It's what gave me the courage to finally do this. To kiss you, to be happy with you.” 

Kore gave him a nervous smile and put her hand on his shoulder nodding, not sure what to say. She argued inwardly with the part of herself that wouldn't let her believe him completely even when he couldn't lay it out more plainly. The voice inside her that would always nag when she was feeling too happy. 

Kore looked out through the open doorway at the sky. The sun had set and a real chill began to settle into their wet bones. Cal stood and offered his hand, lifting her onto her feet. She went to scoop up their forgotten clothing and he stopped her. 

“I need you to believe me. I could never resent you. I love you, Kore. Tell me you believe that I love you.” 

Kore looked for a long time into his earnest face. His bluing lips, his flaky sunburnt nose, his light scratchy red facial hair and his big pleading eyes. And the scars, all those scars on one handsome face. How did he have so many? She ran her finger along the one that began under his ear and she decided right then and there.

Fuck that nagging voice.

Just like that a weight dropped from her shoulders and she smiled so wide she could swear something in her face cracked. 

“I believe you. I do, and, it seems you already know this but ...y'know...me too.” Her face turned red. Sharing was sometimes difficult for Kore but Cal had been so bold and open and deserving of her words. 

“Then that's that.” Things always managed to be so simple for Cal. In a complex universe and even within the deeply mired complexities of Kore's mind he was a breath of clean fresh air. 

She wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled the soft area below his ear breathing deep the simplicity of caring for him. 

A breeze blew through the cavern and reignited the freezing water on their very small amount of clothing. Kore lifted her head away from him and something lit up in her eyes as their gazes connected.  
“Let's go warm up.” The lilt in her voice suggested that Kore had crossed the thin line between sweet nervous girl and insatiable seductress. Cal understood that boundary very well. As he chased her up the stone spiral leading to Kore's laboratory haven Cal prepared himself for the third or fourth time to enter that forbidden territory. Hopefully this time without interruption.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness gracious. We all knew where this was going.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed/added the tags and I apologize deeply for this. Thank you forever and ever until the end of time for reading and commenting. Again, please forgive me.

She took a slow breath in through her nostrils and heard a barely audible whistle. Someone right in front of her would never hear it. Infuriatingly, it was perceived only by Kore. She methodically released the deep breath through her mouth and really forced that last bit of air. Her breathing was so deep that before she could inhale again there was one millisecond where she tamped down her body's instinctual panic. She figured the deeper the breathing the deeper and more effective the introspection, which wasn't correct.

After her days meditating in the Vault on Bogano Kore should have been a master in the art but what was true for any young student of a craft, she experienced off days. Today Kore's focus was failing her as she struggled towards the peaceful blankness of meditation in the Mantis' stern. 

Images flashed through Kore's mind cutting her train of thought like a thread with scissors. Images, sounds, tastes, smells and sensations recalled from her previous evening would make sure Kore could never think straight again. 

She heard Cal's voice in her ear as though he was beside her now and the recollection sent shivers down her spine. Each line they crossed together towards the deepest intimacy he would stop to ask in a breathless rasp “Is this ok?” 

He already knew the answer and the pause to hear it was nearing painful. Eventually Kore dispensed with the hopelessly kind and considerate questioning when she cut him off. 

“Yes, Cal, it's fine! It's all fine I want it all.” In case she was to brusque Kore pulled his face away from her to look him in the eye. “Thanks.” 

His answer was a toothy smile. The huff of air from his small laugh spread across her chest lighting up the sweat there sending a shiver through her entire body. 

Cal took her chin in the nook of his hand between his thumb and index finger and lifted her head out of his way, exposing Kore's neck. As he bent his mouth to her she shouted “No marks! I don't want to have to explain-.” 

“I'll be careful.” His voice was level.

They explored the uncharted territories of each other's bodies, all fingers, palms and mouths. Mapping every patch of skin, every divot and bend, every freckle and birthmark before the truest fun could begin. 

As she failed to meditate Kore could practically taste the saltiness of his skin and feel the heat of his mouth on hers. She shuddered as hard as she had the first time she heard Cal whisper “Tell me what you want.”  
She discovered then that Cal Kestis was very adept at following instructions. As someone who is known to adapt quickly to a situation, essentially to take an idea and run with it, he learned very quickly how to unravel Kore from the inside out. 

Similar to their first kiss, this first didn't go exactly the way Kore had imagined either. Their collisions in the past had been desperate ravenous grasps at each other. Their chances were gambled in stolen moments when anyone could barge in and steal it back, and they did. This time Kore moved with the slow confidence of a woman with all the time in the world. It was a sharp departure from the energy of their previous entanglements and it drove Cal not only to but over the edge. All Jedi were expected to draw from the endless well of patience they carried within them and just then it had seemed that Cal's had run dry. 

In the fog of her memory she saw him, unwilling to take his hand off her for even a second as she pressed his back into the lumpy mattress and settled across his middle. Her own hands ghosted over her hips as she remembered how his fingers dug desperately into her skin there. 

She breathed in through her nose, there was that whistle again, and out through the mouth. Exhaling her tumultuous thoughts, Kore pictured her mind as an empty room filled only with the presence of the Force surrounding her. With great effort she released the tension that had gathered in her forehead as the rolled up skin there smoothed out accompanied by another mellow exhale. Peaceful meditation was imminent. 

Kore bit her lip and her breath quickened when she remembered how fiercely they had clutched each other. How he gasped into her chest and emitted a sound not unlike an injured animal before collapsing into a loose limbed pile underneath her.

Laughter echoed out from the front of the ship, Merrin's and Kore broke free from her reverie. She heaved a sigh for the ages and got up off her knees. No meditation would be had today. She stepped out of the sigil on the floor and shuffled her feet dejectedly into the map room where she joined apparently, the entire crew. 

On the map, topmost among the suspended holograms representing planets was a large sand colored orb. Florrum she supposed. BD-1 walked around the edge of the table like a nimble little parrot, examining other planets in the Sertar sector. 

Merrin was the first to notice Kore. “Ah, here she is.” 

“What was so funny?” She asked slumping onto the padded bench that lined the circular walls.

“I was just commenting on how lively Cal seems this morning. Doesn't he seem invigorated?” Merrin was incorrigible. It was true though, that Cal hadn't tossed and turned restlessly the way he did most nights. He slept quite soundly actually. Kore distracted herself remembering his eyelashes flutter in the yellow morning light when she woke before him. 

“You should ask him what his secret is. You're looking a little tired yourself.” Kore quipped at the nightsister who bumped Kore's shoulder intentionally hard as she plopped down beside her. Cere and Greez ignored the banter as they engaged in their own back and forth.

Cal turned to face them. All the while he chose not to acknowledge that he was the topic of discussion in the conversation happening right in front of him.

“No luck meditating?” he asked Kore. 

“Not today.” She tucked an out of place hair behind her ear. Did he know that it was all his fault? 

“I was hoping to ask you a few questions anyway,” Cere said, leaning her hands on the edge of the map table “about Hondo.” 

“I don't blame you.” Kore sat up, preparing for the interrogation. 

The mantis was presently cruising through the inky blackness of space towards a planet on the Outer Rim. On the desert planet of Florrum the crew would meet with one Hondo Ohnaka to temporarily trade ships with the pirate.

He was a Weekquay smuggler both notorious and nefarious among seedy unlawful types. It had been heard though that Ohnaka was a man of reason and some even said that he had a good heart, though those people were often never heard from again.

This was only the first step on the next leg of their journey leading them to overdeveloped hotbed of Imperial activity that was Coruscant. In the weblike network of information Cere was somehow privy to there was talk of a woman in the lowest levels of the vast city that could move things with her mind. How like the crafty Jocasta Nu to hide right under the Empire's nose without ever leaving the planet. That is if Cere's instincts were correct.

Obviously, it would be impossible for the Mantis to even enter atmo before they were all captured. Being wanted fugitives and all, stealth and disguise were imperative. 

“While we're grateful for the connection, I would like to know how you came to know this man.” Cere was never one to mince words. It's what Kore liked best about her. 

“I've known him since I was a child. He sold weapons to my parents during the civil war on Onderon. Rocket launchers actually.” She laughed to herself as she fondly remembered. “He taught me how to shoot one..” Kore stared into the empty space in front of her as her mind travelled into the past.

She snapped back to the present saying “He is a bastard though there's no mistaking that. Most recently we ran into each other on Tatooine. He was doing business with the Hutts.” 

“What were you doing there?” 

“Business with the Hutts.” She felt like that was a really cool thing to say but corrected herself quickly turning a faint shade of red. “No, I'm just kidding I was working for them. With their rancors.” 

Merrin sighed audibly.

“What? I didn't know that.” Cal huffed “Doing what?” 

“I was a game keeper, okay? It was awful. I got to work with some really perfect animals though. It was hard not to get attached. Real specimens, but they never lived long. Anyway, I know Hondo Ohnaka. He owes me a favor and he likes me. He'll do this for us.” She ended in clipped statements clearly saying all she had wanted to on the subject.

“I don't care who he is. I am not leaving this ship in the hands of any known pirate in the galaxy no matter how well Kore knows him. No offense.” he gestured vaguely toward her and she shook her head indicating no ill will. The Mantis had become precious to all of them she could understand Greez's reluctance. 

“I may not have four arms but I'm sure I can manage to pilot whatever hunk of junk Ohnaka gives us. You can stay with the Mantis, Greez.” Cere said soberly. 

“You'll be a hostage for us.” Merrin blurted while she picked at a fingernail. 

Cere swiftly cut in “You don't have to think of it that way.” 

“I don't.” Greez let fall with a shade of resentment.

Merrin eyed Kore sideways, looking up from her shoulder where she had rested her head. “What strange company you travel in, Kore.” 

Kore's first response was a sharp huff before she looked around the room and said “Yeah, you're not kidding.” 

Days in transit passed and if Greez or Cere had any thoughts on both Cal and Kore taking their rest in and emerging in the mornings from a single room they kept it to themselves. This was the most ideal outcome in Kore's mind as she had feared whatever kind of attention and/ or awkward line of questioning she might face from her crew family, essentially her space Mom and Dad. Merrin's looks and innuendos were bad enough. She was grateful for the older crew members' ambivalence. What they said about it amongst themselves wasn't her business and she'd certainly never ask.

Cal's nightmares had begun again. Kore would gently nudge him and he wouldn't fully wake but would somehow reset or so she assumed when he would stop murmuring and twitching frantically. Sometimes he would open his eyes for just a moment and scoot close enough to wrap himself around Kore until he would inevitably shift again. Luckily, it was no issue for her to fall back asleep one moment to the next. A side effect of growing up in the midst of rebellion.

Some mornings he would describe the things he could remember to her but more often he'd avoid the topic altogether. Kore would never press him although she made it clear that that door was always open.

Deep into this night in particular, closer to what the ship designated as morning, Cal began to mumble in his sleep causing Kore to stir. As he became louder and more frantic Kore woke and brushed his face gently with her hand and whispered his name. He seemed to settle and Kore made to turn over but stopped when his chest began to heave and his face was pained suddenly. 

“Cal.” She shook him slightly by the shoulders. “CAL.” 

His eyes sprung open and he gasped violently. Cal scrambled backwards and pressed himself up against the wall, trapped by a phantom only he could see. Kore held her hands out in front of herself inoffensively as she implored Cal to see clearly. 

“It's me! Cal, it's ok, it's Kore!” She moved into his space and wrapped her hand around his wrist slowly pulling him to into a tight hug. He didn't stop her though he hadn't yet seemed to fully process his surroundings. 

“Kore?” he asked trembling. He opened a space between them, raising his hand over his chest to clutch a wound that wasn't there. 

“I'm here. You're ok, Cal, it was a dream.” She let him press his forehead to hers as he attempted to steady his breathing. 

“You're ok?” He held his unsteady hand to her face. 

“Me? Yes, of course I'm fine. I'm a little shaken to be honest. You scared me.” She forced a laugh but his face was still serious. He looked afraid. “Cal, what happened?” 

“I- I dreamed that I-” his eyes darted around before they settled on hers, full of concern. “...that you...” 

She implored him with a look and before she knew what was happening Cal was kissing her. He moved so quickly that it was easy for Kore to get swept up in the current of it. The circumstance felt bizarre to her but the frantically sensual energy was very familiar. 

He kissed her neck up and down settling at her nape as his hands roved under her top. At the great risk of upsetting his process she had to ask “Are you sure you're ok?”

All she got was an Mhm as he covered her mouth with his again and laid her back. She would normally argue that he was indeed not ok but what an excellent distraction he chose. It may not work again, but today there was no fighting it. Her knees parted without thinking.

She put her hands on his belly and slid them downward between his legs. He stuttered profanely when she gave him a light squeeze. Kore let out a small gasp when he grabbed her hands and gathered them together above her head. 

“Just you.” She didn't even think to resist as Cal pressed her wrists into the mattress with one hand and the other sunk down below her waistband. She read determination in his expression as he focussed completely on her. She couldn't help but mewl quietly into his neck as his hand moved in lazy circles. 

Kore did her best to ignore the fact that he was focussing so intently on her perhaps to distract them both from the excessive reaction to his distressing dream. She'd bring it up after, she made a note not to forget. Why couldn't they could do both?

“I love how noisy you get.” he rasped into her ear. Kore pulled her hands out of his grasp easily and wrapped them around his shoulders. 

“You're the noisy one.” She told the truth and nipped his ear between heavy sighs. 

“We'll see.” Was that menace she detected in his voice?

The unfortunate sounds of life beyond their door began to stir as the first members of the crew began to wake. Greez was usually first, it was the best when he had fresh caf ready for everyone. BD would be next, eager to participate at the first sign of wakefulness. Luckily, he and Greez had become adorably tolerant of one another. One might even say they were friendly. Cere's light but audible footfall could be heard through the hallway and grew louder as she passed their door.

Kore looked over to the door as though it would slide open unbidden. So far they had a bad streak of interrupted privacy and bad timing. Cal took this moment to slide a digit up towards Kore's center. She gasped noisily and bit the back of her hand to keep from crying out. The footsteps faded and the loud whirr of the caf grinder sounded out from the kitchen.

Cal pulled Kore's hand away from her mouth and rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand and pressed his lips to the bite mark there. 

“If you tell me to stop-” he panted.

“Don't!” She nearly screamed, cutting him off. “Don't stop.” 

All the while he was pressing his slippery fingers up into her in a careful rhythm that drove her mad. Her breath was erratic as she filled with an intense pressure starting in her lower half that built up behind her eyes and made her dizzy. 

A series of heavy steps sounded from the very end of the hall. It was Merrin's turn to rise and shine. Immediately Kore raised her hand again for fear that she couldn't trust herself to stay quiet enough. Cal stopped her by placing his own cupped hand over her mouth, pressing just enough to stifle the sound she made when he increased the vigor of his ministrations. Kore clutched his arm desperately and placed her hand over his at her mouth. All that escaped were muffled moans that might shake the entire ship if they were given the chance. 

The calculated risk of it all made the moment deliciously reprehensible and it was more than Kore could take. Cal relished the waves of ecstasy emanating off of her as she broke and shuddered repeatedly. He drank them in greedily as her nails dug into the freckled skin of his shoulder.

Cal pressed his head into the crook of her neck until the euphoria began to fade and Kore gained a semblance of control over herself. The muffled keening reduced to controlled sobs. 

The young man peeled his hand off her mouth leaving a temporary red print behind. Kore gulped at the air greedily and eventually she evened out her breathing. Cal couldn't help his silky chuckle. 

He laid down across from her and they faced each other, both faces plastered with drunk smiles. Kore closed the small distance between them fastening herself to him. She buried her face in his chest and nuzzled furiously until it hurt a little. 

“Good?” he asked lightly though he knew the answer.

“Mmhhmm. Isn't there...anything I can do for you?”

“Well, if you're going to insist like that-” 

There was a sharp rap on the door that was the loudest noise Kore had ever heard and it made her heart stop. She was so startled it compelled her to hide, pulling the blanket up above their heads. A voice sounded from the opposite side of the door. 

“Uh, hey guys? I uh – Greez is making omelets and he needs to know if you want any. He's not sure if we have enough Gartro eggs. So he wanted to uh...take a head count.” Cere sounded wildly uncomfortable. She must have drawn the short straw. 

Kore's head popped out from the blankets as quick as a bogling's from its den.  
Cal asked her with his eyes and she nodded wordlessly before he shouted at the closed door. 

“Uh, yes please! Two, thank you!” he answered for them.

“Ok.” Cere's exasperated sigh made it seem as though she had been forced to ask at blaster point. 

Their privacy could only last so long, probability dictated the interruption was overdue. It was time for their shameful entrance into the kitchen. Kore would face the music for an omelet. A certain amount of teasing was an acceptable price to pay for a Greez breakfast. She knew there would be fruit on the plate too. 

Kore hopped on one leg as she puled on a pair of pants. Cal hung his legs over the side of the tousled cot and she bumped heads with him when she leaned in for a kiss. 

“Ow, sorry. I owe you one. Thank you, I love you. Eggs.” She looked back at him over her shoulder as she stepped into the hallway. Seconds before the door whooshed shut Cal rubbed the pads of his fingers over his thumb and lifted them into his mouth, tasting Kore. In his last sight of her she wore a ridiculous expression that he would cherish in his memory forever. The slack jawed and dumbfounded face of a woman aroused and bereft.

Cal was left in the dim light. He sat for a moment in the heavy silence before he released his held breath and heaved himself off the bed. He ran a hand through his hair and headed into the hallway, ready to eat.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hondo raised his arms with palms upturned, enunciating in a clear and friendly voice. “My friends! Welcome! Please excuse the untidy state of my operations! These days I use this planet mainly for storage. Rarely do I meet with good company such as yourselves in these sandy dregs. My protege, Quadoro. ” He indicated his associate. 
> 
> Kore smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A different flavor. Hope you like it! 
> 
> Thank you thank you thank you for reading and commenting. You have my eternal and undying love and affection.

The heat rose in visible snake-like waves into the air making everything at even a slight distance seem like a mirage. In every direction they saw only two colors, the red orange of undulating dunes cut sharply by the blue sky horizon. The sleek starship touched down on the hot sand becoming a speck in an ocean of autumnal color. The thunderous quiet of the desert compete with the sharp exhaust of the Stinger Mantis as the exit ramp extended down to the sand. 

The entire Mantis crew was comprised of individually wanted Imperial fugitives so they walked with a jittery air around them whenever they left the ship or the safety of Bogano. Even though projecting confidence and calmness was key, they had been out of practice growing impractically comfortable in their safe haven. And so it was that Greez Dritus stayed in his ship, as was his wont. The pilot dropped the three Jedi about an hours walk to the meeting site. Nightsister Merrin was enlisted to stay behind as well, to cloak the ship once it lifted into orbit. Maintaining stealth was paramount until the transaction was neatly completed, according to plan. 

Each member suffered the luxury of heavy bounties on their heads but as they were the only ones that had actually crossed blades with Vader and had the audacity to survive, Cere and Cal's were obscenely high. As a precaution he wore a hood to cover his blazing red hair and pulled his welding mask over the lower half of his face, at Kore's behest. Which is also why it was gently suggested to BD-1 that he too remain on the Mantis. As Cal would be even more recognizable with his well known companion hanging off his back. His companion that had zapped Darth Vader in the neck and was being hunted as viciously across the galaxy as the rest of his friends. Cere wore the hooded scarlet robe of the nightsisters and covered her face with a black scarf. Merrin admitted she was reluctant to share her sentimental garb but couldn't deny that Cere looked amazing in red after the fact. 

Eventually they came across what Kore generously assumed was a settlement. The only sound they heard was their own footsteps sinking into the loose sand and the wind whistling through the bones of old ship frames sticking out of the ground like ancient leviathans. None of the trio spoke. That this could be an ideal spot and circumstance to stage an ambush was something that crossed the mind of each crew member

All around them there were the skeletons of starships, speeder bikes, and cruisers. Picked apart and raided for parts.

Spending years picking ships apart himself had taught him to recognize what was spaceworthy. Some wrecks were better off than others but at a glance he believed none of these would leave the ground again. 

The child in Cal's heart cried out as he laid his eyes on the barest of remains of a particular starship. From little more than the frame he recognized the Davaab-type Starfighter, the kind Mandalorians used to protect their capital ships in their hay day. He fought the urge to run his hand over the warped metal and missed his chance at a captivating Force echo. The the loss of that opportunity would haunt him for several days. 

Kore took point at the head of the group as they approached what appeared to be a central structure. It was easy to imagine that this massive complex was at one time bustling with life, trade, and activity. The mirage inducing heat waves made it impossibly easy for Kore to see the various ruffians that had gathered here. This one playing dice, that one evaluating “shipment” quality and haggling, which never went smoothly between thieves. Businessmen, she corrected herself mentally, Ohnaka's own voice sounding in her mind. 

Now the mighty palace had fallen into complete disrepair. The roof was collapsed and all the doorless portals had begun to pile with sand. What could be seen of the walls above the lip of surmounting dunes were worn by time and began to crumble. It had been less than a decade since the Ohnaka Gang was run out by the Empire but time in the desert passed more harshly than other places. 

It had changed hands several times throughout its history at one time being a Separatist station. Even temporarily a settlement of New Mandalore and then a Crimson Dawn outspost, via a Zabrak sibling takeover. Somehow Florrum always found its way back to Hondo and even now in all its derelict glory he believed it was unofficially his once again. He didn't care for the details of how.

As they entered what may have been called a central courtyard, and again that was a generous term, Kore could hear voices raised in disagreement sound from out of view. 

“Why don't we just keep it for ourselves? Since when did the mighty Ohnaka enter the business of doing favors?” A voice as dry as the ground they passed over sounded incredulous. Some shuffling and a heavy thud in the sand, the sounds of a squabble. 

“Not for the goodness of my heart, I'll tell you. Hondo repays a good turn done for him. I must at least break even with a man before I can profit from his demise. Besides, what are you complaining for? We have more work than we know what to do with.” 

“Exactly! Work! How can we look passed this opportunity that has landed in our very laps?” 

“Oh, that's nice.” Cal thought he whispered. 

“Shut up. Do you hear that?” A goggled face peered out from the doorway of the once mighty structure. Hondo Ohnaka straightened his posture at once, standing at attention and slapped an all too genuine smile across his face like a sticker. The hand of his disheveled companion, another Weequay, came up to dust off his master's shoulder before he bowed dramatically to the group. 

Hondo raised his arms with palms upturned, enunciating in a clear and friendly voice. “My friends! Welcome! Please excuse the untidy state of my operations! These days I use this planet mainly for storage. Rarely do I meet with good company such as yourselves in these sandy dregs. My protege, Quadoro. ” He indicated his associate. 

Kore smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. The crew behind her did their best to look tough to dissuade treachery. Hondo wasn't shaken in the least. He had stood against and even among daunting figures of the Clone Wars. Not many could boast looking into the eyes of General Grievous, Count Dooku, and even the red eyed gaze of Maul. A girl from Onderon and her ragtag crew couldn't intimidate him. 

She wasn't sure precisely what to expect from Hondo but she felt silly now for insisting Cere and Cal disguise themselves when it appeared to be just the two pirate smugglers. Although these days there was no such thing as being overly cautious.

“Hondo. You look absolutely vivacious.” Kore extended her hand and her voice did not match her prickly energy. Already she was on guard.

“Sweet little Kore! How you've grown! You were little more than a sapling when I saw you last, all covered in Rancor spit.”

He disregarded her hand and set his arms apart for a hug. Kore reluctantly stepped forward into his embrace. Hondo pulled her close enough so that no other soul could hear and Cal bristled slightly.

“The Haxion Brood is inside waiting for you. I have a plan, act naturally.” For a moment Kore's fingers on Hondo's back flexed unnaturally tight as she regretted every decision that led her to this moment. They were less than five minutes into their accord with Hondo and already she was betrayed and confused. 

Kore stepped away from him and only spared herself a short moment to react the way she wanted to, it took the form a deep and steadying breath. It was more than enough to alert Cal's senses. He took one step forward and Kore raised her palm slightly, stopping him dead in his tracks.

“How many years has it been, Hondo? Let me COUNT. Three, at least? Maybe four?” Kore asked with knowing in her voice. Somehow against her own expectations she remained as cool as a cup of water. 

“Oh, my Darling Kore. It has been six years or so since I've lain my crusty old eyes on you. However did you manage?”

Cere had been studying the transaction with intense focus that now tripled. That timeline simply didn't suit her and she knew it for false. Without learning the specifics Cere surmised that this was indeed a trap and perhaps as many as six enemies waited in ambush. She cracked her neck. Cal's fingers twitched hovering discreetly over his saber.

“You know me, I'm a survivor. Just like you.” There was no humor in her voice.

“Ah, yes and our kind must stick together. And so it is now that you need a ship, and Hondo is here to provide.” He put an arm across her shoulders and began to lead her away from the building behind him.

“Exactly! Like how I smuggled you off of Tatooine in a big game crate, at great risk to myself. One favor deserves another.” She felt the need to remind him. 

He spared a look over his shoulder at Kore's companions and indicated that they should follow with a flick of his neck, as though they had planned to stay behind. Quadoro offered Cal and Cere an inoffensive smile that they both found distasteful. 

Tensions were running high in the air but in effort of feigned cordiality Cal was one breath away from asking about the Davaab fighter. The words died in his mouth as a comm radio crackled to life a short distance away from their slowly progressing group. 

“He's leading them the wrong way.” a disembodied voice cried out. All heads snapped in the direction of the voice that rang out in answer from across the wide yard. 

“The jig is up. Forget this, take Ohnaka down too. Let's move!” Just then three figures emerged from behind the various wreckage and began to encircle them as two stepped out of the dilapidated manor.

As Cere was assessed their opponents Cal sunk into a low crouch and reached for his lightsaber. 

Gripping Kore by the shoulder Hondo pulled her behind him as he shouted “RUN!”  
All other movements and intentions were canceled in favor of this new directive. 

“My ship is this way!” he shouted, nearly out of breath already. 

“That's your plan? Run to your ship?” Kore was livid.

“You will change your mind when we are on it in safety, maybe!”

Cere chanced a glance over her shoulder at their pursuers and what she saw really made her lift her knees. 

A cloud of dust followed them with two Haxion Brood bounty hunters in jet packs speeding after them through the air. On the ground Cere saw the telltale yellow and black paint on the facade of a massive repurposed Bounty Droid. Cere couldn't be sure of what her eyes were seeing but she swore the droid was trailing two mangy scazz on chain leashes. Several paces ahead were two more bionically enhanced commandos. The heavy shields they carried and the slight head start was the only thing allowing distance between the two groups.

The mercs with the jet packs zoomed overhead and landed between the group and their only means of escape. One, presumably the leader bedecked in a bright blue, spoke to the other. 

“You were right, Dunya. The Weekquay folded.” 

“Atticus Rex, you owe me credits.” a modulated voice answered him. 

“Yeah, put it on my tab.” 

The situation had already turned irreversibly but the loquacious Hondo Ohnaka had to try one final time to talk his way out of this very sticky situation. 

“Surely, we can reach an agreement! Sorc Tormo and I are old friends!” 

“Sorry old timer, the bossman wants that ginger and all his friends. Where's the Latero?” 

“Then my man Quadoro and I may go! We are not the friends of these people. We barely know them. Now if you'll kindly step aside.” 

“Wow. There it is.” Kore said lovelessly. 

One of the Bounty Droid's scazz chomped at the other and a brawl was narrowly avoided by a sharp snap of their chains. 

“Cut that shit out!” The droid's mechanized voice sounded harshly. Ignoring his counterpart, the leader continued to address their soon-to-be captives.

“I already said sorry once and didn't mean it. Now, you're all coming with us. Dead or alive.” Atticus Rex's tone made light of the heavy threat.

“I know which I'd prefer.” One of the commandos added. She banged her stun-rod arm on the heavy shield sending sparks in every direction.

With no other option before them, Cal ignited his lightsaber making their decision clear. His hood and face mask fell away and the bright desert sun lit up his copper hair like a standard to follow in battle.

Suddenly everyone was armed. Kore raised twin blasters from their holsters. Cere, much to everyone's confusion, appeared as a nightsister igniting and inquisitor's lightsaber. Trilla's. 

Hondo and Quadoro both brandished electrostaves and Kore spared a moment to wonder where they were keeping them. 

“Nice and easy, Jedi.” Rex raised a blaster. The fight began in earnest when Cere used the Force to push a massive wave of sand over the commandos. She hoped to begin with the advantage of jamming their metallic joints full of grating sand. 

In one explosive second chaos reigned as weapons collided. The dome headed Bounty Droid released the Scazz's restraints and they divided. As froth spewed from their mouths they burrowed into the sand, disappearing beneath the combatants' feet. While firing at the airborne hunters, Kore used the Force to feel for the creatures' movements below their feet. 

The pair of Weekquay ganged up on the helmeted Commandos that appeared to be more machine than human, their bionic modifications taken perhaps too far. Quadoro immediately ate a hard mouthful of durasteel shield and fell to the ground. Blood poured over his chin as he floundered helplessly. 

Hondo, who was actually rather adept with his electrostaff, caught a Commando's bionic arm up in twisted flurry. The purple sparks of his staff and the blue current passing through the stun-rod that serves as the Commando's arm spit and sputtered in blinding combination. The Commando grunted mechanically while beads of sweat began to form on Hondo's brow. Before Quadoro's opponent could land a decisive blow on his battered friend, Hondo put all his weight into shoving one Commando into the other, displacing them both. 

Cere lit up both ends of her demonic red saber and it began to spin in her hands deflecting the ceaseless blaster fire from the two aloft Bounty Hunters. Her theatrical distraction created an opportunity that Cal grabbed when he used the Force to lift a hefty sheet of debris and lob it at their foes. One managed to swerve out of the way, Dunya, and Rex hit the sand like a sack of flour, sending a wave of sand into the air. 

In sharp contrast to the dire nature of the situation, a sound akin to the comical plop of a rock into a bucket of water indicated that Dunya had fired a rocket missile in Cere's direction. The older Jedi executed a flawless and unassuming backflip out of range, though now the fight would continue on a battlefield marred with a human sized crater. Cal lobbed his lightsaber like a boomerang in an impressive arc that returned directly to his hand after sending Dunya's jetpack to the ground in a shower of sparks. She fell gracelessly a short distance from Cere and she rose clumsily from the sand with her aim trained on the red robed woman. 

Atticus Rex had risen and somehow crept behind Cal who spun to face him. In a quick exchange of hand to hand blows Cal had grabbed the hunter's wrist and in a sequence familiar to him, Cal attempted to flip the man while slicing his shoulder clean through. Atticus groaned and then began to laugh when shock played across Cal's face. With all his limbs surprisingly intact the Boutny Hunter stood and shook himself off. The silver beskar armor shielding his chest and shoulders deflected the legendary Jedi weapon much to Cal's dismay. It wasn't impervious but it was resistant. It would take several more blows before Cal could break through. 

On the opposite side of the battlefield, the Bounty Droid left heavy tread marks in its wake as it barreled toward Kore with the force of a locomotive. She narrowly rolled out of range, spitting sand when she regained her footing. The ground shook again and she knew what was coming before she could see them.

An angry scazz burst from the ground on either side of her. One latched itself to her arm as she lifted a leg and planted a kick between the beady black eyes of the other. Kore gritted her teeth as the flesh on her arm was being shredded by the terrible creature. This arm had only just healed too.

Another kerplunk sounded from the other side of the field and a wayward missile, deflected by a Jedi no doubt, landed in the sand several inches before the Bounty Droid sending it careening out of sight. 

Kore seized upon this moment to look the parasite on her arm deeply in the eyes. She waved her opposite hand before its face slowly while releasing a deep but shaky breath. This wasn't guaranteed to work but she had to try. 

“I'm not your enemy. Turn on your masters.” She said with as level a tone as she could muster. The scazz's jaws released and it fell to the ground beside her, blinking stupidly. Kore ignored the endless stream of blood flowing from her arm into the sand and knelt to look the scazz in the eye again. “Tell your friend.” She hadn't expected that would work but somehow it did. 

She couldn't spare herself a second to smile as the two horrible vermin pattered over to one of the commandos and threw themselves upon him, much to the delight of Quadoro who had continued to struggle throughout the battle. 

Kore ran over to the blasted Bounty Droid and watched it with a morbid curiosity that felt like watching a turtle stuck on its back. The force of the blast had deeply embedded it in the sand. Exposed wires sparked from the burnt sockets on its face. It cursed her one last time before Kore put it out of its misery with two well aimed blaster bolts. 

One scazz pulled hard on the commando's leg while the other cleverly sunk its teeth into the flesh of his elbow, avoiding the stun rod altogether. The poor wretch lost his chance at survival when he clattered to the ground and his helmet came loose and rolled away, exposing his face. Quadoro watched with pleasure as the scazz made slow work of piecing their victim apart. 

Hondo was locked in a struggle with the remaining commando. He was sunk down onto one knee after taking a stab from the stun rod in his left thigh. He lost all feeling in that leg, though the unpleasant sensation would be temporary. Hondo gritted his teeth as the tip of the rod struggled between his face and his attacker's, making milimeter progressions back and forth. The bright blue light filled his vision, enhanced by his circular goggles. 

With his hands now free thanks to the scazz, Quadoro snuck up behind the commando and with a hand on either side of the the staff he gripped under his enemy's neck and pulled toward him. 

“Yes! Yes, up!” Hondo shouted encouragement.  
Quadoro pulled up as hard as he was able. This gave Hondo the leverage he needed as his opponent's strength slackened temporarily. Hondo drove the commando's own rod up under her helmet and listened to the nauseating sizzle until she collapsed in a heap of steaming parts. Hondo clapped his friend on the shoulder barely managing a smile as he collected his breath. 

You'd think that a trained and experienced Bounty Hunter like Dunya would change tactics after Cere had successfully deflected two rocket missiles. But after watching her friends, well her associates, fall one by one and seeing the tide of battle that had once seemed in their favor slowly shift, she became unsettled at the very least. Her focus was compromised as she watched Cere dart around her in a scarlet blur, her red weapon glowing menacingly. To think that her arduous story would end as abruptly as it did because of a simple miscalculation was even more disheartening. Why had she taken this job? Why did she feel like she had so much to prove, biting off more than she could chew? She fired missile after missile without thinking and before long, one came back at her. Cere stood defiantly with hands upraised channeling the Force and Dunya's final sight was clouded over by the wrong end of her own rocket. What would Atticus say?

As Kore looked across the field Cal ran at top speed with a trail of bright green blaster bolts lighting up the wall of wreckage behind him in a straight line. Kore focused all her attentions on the newly airborne leader of the Haxion Brood. His jetpack sparked and he bounced unsteadily but it was still functional and he felt safer in the air.

“For what it's worth kid, I saw you in the arena on Ordo Eris. You did good but this time will be different.” Atticus Rex shouted to Cal from the air. 

Her vision tunneled as she drew upon the Force to flow through her outstretched hand and extend to the hunter. Rex, whose eyes were trained on Cal, was struck with the intense force of an invisible battering ram that pitched him into the unforgiving metal tower created by the remains of a half buried star destroyer. The unceremonious nature of his fall made him look like a child's toy. 

Before Rex could recover himself Cal turned and used the Force to drag him through the air to dangle helplessly in front of him. Kore's blood froze as she watched Cal whirl his lightsaber in a wide arc and Atticus Rex's legs fell to the ground with an ugly thud. His hideous screams were cut short as a second slash took advantage of the break in his armor between the hunter's shoulders and neck. The severed head and legless body collapsed on the sand in a gory heap.

As she watched the primal transaction, the analytical part of her brain recalled Cal's saber technique and she whispered it to herself. 

“ Double Cho mok and Sai cha...Determination Form....” It was easier to imagine than it was to watch.

Cal's shoulders slumped and he let out a long breath. He extinguished his lightsaber and when he looked over at Kore it was with a nasty black eye that was already spreading a deep purple color down over his cheek. That same eye was beginning to shrink away behind swollen skin. The other one though, filled with relief and affection when he saw her standing a short distance away. His brow furrowed when he noticed her bloody arm, which was still flowing freely. But Kore shook her head, there would be time for that later. It didn't stop him from trotting over to her and elevating it above her heart for her. Gravity alone would drain her dry. She lifted her good hand near his bad eye but curled her fingers away when she decided against prodding the tender spot. He winced anyway.

The survivors were all rooted in their places and breathing heavily as they glanced around at each other. So everyone was whole. The only noise now was the wind rustling the sand and the grizzly sounds of feasting scazz. They lifted their heads with gruesome red dripping from their maws.

Their work completed, the two absurdly large rodents burrowed into the ground and out of their lives forever. Kore tried not to imagine the repercussions of a potential mating pair of virulent scazz would have on Florrum's ecosystem. 

After what felt like too long a pause Kore decided that she would start “You son of a bitch!” She pointed accusingly at Hondo while approaching him in aggressively large strides. He exposed his upraised palms in surrender. 

“Kore, you must believe me! Old Hondo would never betray you! We have history!” Cere stepped between them before Kore could reach the gangster. 

“Start explaining then.” She said in an unfathomably steady voice. Kore crossed her arms spreading the blood onto her chest. Cal stepped close behind her, ready to see how Hondo might talk his way out of this one.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I just...have a bad feeling about this. I'm not sure he's trustworthy, but alright. If you feel like there's good in him.” Cal ceded. 
> 
> “Bad feeling...in the Force?” Kore asked him. 
> 
> “No, in the common sense.” He sounded tired.
> 
> “Oh, ok good. Then don't worry it's going to be fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking it out with me! This has gotten so much longer than I anticipated but it's become my quarantine fuel so I'll keep going if you come with me. As always thank you for reading and commenting! I think you're the bee's knees.

All eyes were on Hondo. Even his associate Quadoro watched him with bated breath, not knowing how he would explain. Kore's heart was thumping hard and she had yet to come down from the heightened adrenaline rush of battle. She felt like she could lift Hondo over her head and throw him into the atmosphere. She was tempted to try as her hands clenched into fists waiting to see how this charlatan would attempt to deceive them next. 

“First of all, the whole galaxy knows that the Haxion Brood has it out for your crew. Mostly this one.” Hondo pointed a bony finger at Cal.

There was no denying that. At what felt like the most unexpected intervals throughout their journey Cal had been dogged by Haxion Brood bounty hunters ever since his escape from the arena on Ordo Eris. 

“We've been aware.” Cal said scathingly. He crossed his arms in a way that pressured Hondo to produce a statement of more value.

Hondo's colleague shuffled around on the periphery of their conversation prodding at the remains of their enemies. He poked his bony gray finger into the bloody sand sifting through the charred detritus that was once the bounty hunter Dunya. Quadoro lifted his fingertip to his snub nose and wrinkled it emphatically.

“Aside from the fact that given the chance I did indeed warn you of their presence here, I am not sure if you noticed that I was also attacked. Those particular bounty hunters are are no friends of mine.” With both hands Hondo gestured towards his injured thigh that had not yet recovered full sensation. He theatrically limped closer to Kore for dramatic effect. If the smuggler was looking for sympathy there he discovered that well was dry.

“I also happen to have a very deep and unwavering hatred for Sorc Tormo and I would rather die in a puddle without a credit to my name than to aid the man in any way.” Hondo continued this time with no humor at all. This visual amused Kore and she chose to believe him whether it was true or not. 

“It's true! We spit on Sorc Torm and all the Haxion Brood. We would never conduct business with their like.” Quadoro interjected in support of his boss waving a looted blaster freshly scrounged from the corpse of Atticus Rex. Kore had the feeling there was an interesting story behind their venom but had decided they didn't have the time to hear about it.

“How did they know we were here?” Cere laid the question out like a heavy blanket. 

“The same way you were found out on all the other occasions you faced them I imagine. How does any bounty hunter find its prey? You'll have to ask our fallen foes.” Hondo deadpanned. This response was found to be less than satisfactory but it seems they had no choice but to accept it. So far Hondo was grateful that no one had yet mentioned his attempt to turn coat before the battle began. Who could blame him for seizing an opportunity to preserve a life, even if it was his own? Certainly not three Jedi.

Quadoro dragged his feet coming up behind Hondo and tapped him on the elbow with a recovered blaster. Over his shoulder he hefted a slightly dinged but still very functional rocket launcher. Hondo aggressively waved his counterpart away in favor of continuing his spiel. The gall, interrupting him in the midst of a performance. 

“But look at us squawking like daubirds while Miss Kore is bleeding out into the sand. Please join me on my ship for first aid and perhaps a refreshment. Just because our meeting took a primitive turn does not mean we must conduct our business without civility.” 

Kore wobbled on her feet as she defensively shot back “How can we continue to trust you after this? You tried to abandon us to bounty hunters.” 

Ah, so they hadn't forgotten. Hondo reached out to steady her by the shoulders. His hands snapped to his sides when Cal stepped close behind her and might as well have growled like a guard dog for the deadly look he gave. 

“I am sorry, little Kore. My instincts are always to survive but this sad start does not have to affect our deal. You were right to ask me for this aid, and I do want to help you.” The tune sounded wrong coming from Hondo and he could tell from her face and those of her companions that they were unconvinced. This was the downfall of an infamous pirate's reputation, a rare moment where a genuine desire to help was too good to be believed. He tried again.

“You saved my skin on Tattoine. That is reason enough to do this small thing for you. But your parents were …very good customers. Special ones.” From Kore's face he could tell he had struck a chord. “Most of all though, I am most certain your success would be a pebble at least in Sorc Tormo's shoe and that, my friend, is why you must allow me to at least provide some first aid.” 

Kore thought she heard legitimate care in his voice. Hondo's speech craft was unparalleled. She suddenly felt Bd-1's absence sorely. The little droid was a master bullshit detector and the best judge of character that Kore knew. Not to mention she would love the cool green relief of a stim right now. Before she could muster a response Cal chimed in from behind her. 

“You do look pale.” He placed a gentle hand over her shoulder and when she turned to look at him she was shocked by the swollen purple mound that was his right eye. 

“You should listen to your red-haired friend.” Quadoro gave his opinion that no one had asked for. 

“Ah, kriff. Ok let's go.” What she saw made their decision.

They stepped aboard a tasteful Interceptor-class Frigate that was on the smaller side. Ships of this kind were not specifically designated to pirates and smugglers though they were commonly employed by that ilk. Considering the vessel's apparent age it was in quite pristine condition. Either Hondo kept a very tight ship or this model was newly acquired. Kore settled on the latter. 

The group gathered in a small mess hall with almost enough seating for everyone and a delightful kitchenette besides. Quadoro disappeared in search of medical supplies while Hondo plopped himself down into the comfiest looking chair and massaged his leg up and down groaning loudly. No one looked his way.

Cere made a point of crossing to each corner of the room and made no attempts to disguise the fact that she was skeptically examining every nook and cranny of their surroundings. All exits and maybe even air vents mapped in her mind. 

Cal and Kore fretted over each other, making it impossible to help one another. They argued over who needed to sit more when Quadoro reappeared with a tray of supplies. He set it down on the table and crept away again. Cal shouted “Thank you!” down the hallway he had disappeared into but got no response. 

Kore slapped Cal's hand away when he went for the gauze, his expression incredulous.

“Look at your arm it's a mess.” he protested. She wasn't sure what he had planned to do about it. Cal was exemplary at distributing and especially collecting injuries but his skill was lacking severely on any ailment that required more than slapping on a bacta patch or stabbing a stim into a meaty body part.

“Shut up, you can barely see.” She cracked a cold compress to life and covered one side of his face. Every muscle in his body clenched at the initial contact and he made to object Kore's rudeness but it quickly faded into a soothed groan. The tension fell from his shoulders and his good eye fluttered shut.

Cal could feel Kore smiling at him as she pulled his head to her shoulder. One hand held the soothing cold to his face and the other cradled the back of his head, sinking her fingers into his hair. He allowed himself this small comfort and the rest of the room fell away as they stood this way for several beats. Someone cleared their throat awkwardly on the other side of the room and they both snapped to attention.

Cal turned his head to face Cere as she crossed the room. A smear of Kore's blood painted his cheek. 

“Honestly you two. Here, you take this.” She took the pack from Kore and placed Cal's hand over it on his own face. “And you sit down.” 

Kore obeyed without thinking as Cere assessed the extent of the damage and one-eyed Cal was forced to watch idly. Kore hissed through her teeth as Cere made to wipe away the clots of red sand that had stuck to the edges of her wounds. 

“This is a mess, is there a- ah.” Cere answered her own question when her eyes settled on the small sink in the kitchenette. She dragged Kore to her feet by the arm and without checking the temperature of the tap first, sunk Kore's tender arm beneath the faucet. A strangled noise escaped from her patient but Cere was too deep in her work to consider comforts. “There we are. Ok clean. Let's get you wrapped up.” 

Quadoro reentered with a second tray of various snacks and beverages. It was all basic rations made to survive extended journeys through space done up to appear as lavish as possible. The man did incredible work under the circumstances. 

“Will I live, doctor?” Kore tried to peer over Cere's shoulder to see her own arm. 

“Absolutely! If the amputation goes well.” Humor glinted in the woman's voice that smacked of their nightsister crew mate. So Cere had jokes. 

After a period of uncharacteristic silence Hondo finally piped up from his chair as he took a beverage Quadoro had offered him without looking. 

“I must say, it felt good to fight alongside Jedi once again!”

“Again?” Cal took the bait. 

“None other than the legendary Obi Wan Kenobi fought with me here against two dreadful nightbrothers.” Hondo glowed at Cal's curiosity. At anyone's really, he was a born orator.  
“Adi Galia as well. She met her end here on Florrum at their hands. Curse them, wherever they are. Menaces.”

Just when Cal became interested in Hondo he changed gears. Any storyteller worth his salt maintained an air of mystery that kept people coming back for more.

“This has been a most exciting reunion and while I have had the pleasure of these new acquaintances let us settle our business so that Quadoro and I may continue on to Coruscant. You need a ship, I won't ask why. Here on Florrum I have-” 

“You're going to Coruscant?” Cal interrupted him, letting the cold pack come away from his face.  
Hondo grimaced at the ugly display of Cal's purple eye but didn't let it stop him from answering. 

“Yes. We have a meeting there, in the upper levels I might add. A representative of Dryden Vos.” He said haughtily.

“Hondo, he's really dangerous. You should be careful.” Kore warned as Cere fastened the final bandage below her elbow. “Thanks, Cere.” 

“Is that concern I detect in your voice, Dear Kore? Do not fret over Hondo. I was a force to reckon with in this galaxy when Dryden Vos's nanny droid was up to its elbows in his diapers. And besides, this arrangement is with an underling, a Qi'ra something. There is nothing to fear other than my fate that is to drown in both credits and renown once again.” He looked into his cup and swirled the green liquid. 

Cal was losing his patience with this smuggler who had caused them so much trouble already. He didn't care for the reason of his next destination more than the destination itself. His frustration outweighed his interest in any story Hondo could weave.

“I asked because Coruscant is where we're headed.” his voice was annoyed. Though the swelling of his eye had gone down a great deal and he could see from it clearly, the skin was still achy and dark. He felt his heartbeat thumping in the tender skin there and it was making him grumpy.

“We need to arrive....under the radar.” Cere helped him be clear.

Quadoro noisily unwrapped a small bag of some kind of nut and held it out to Kore, who was nearest to him, as they listened. She shook her head but then took a small palm-full anyway. 

“Why didn't you say this earlier!?” Hondo shot out of his seat so abruptly he nearly knocked his drink over. “You don't need a ship just let us ferry you to Coruscant. If only I'd known, Kore, that your big favor was only to hitch a ride to the place I must be going myself. How simple.” 

Florrum was in the Outter Rim and so the journey to Coruscant wouldn't be pleasantly short. Already the idea sat like a sour taste in Cal's mouth. Even Cere, a true master over her own emotions, couldn't hide the downturned corners of her mouth. Kore coughed loudly into the silence that followed when a crumb went down the wrong pipe. In an attempt to help, Quadoro slapped her back a little too hard and she waved him off. 

“I'll have to discuss this with my crew, if you don't mind.” Cere tried to sound as diplomatic as possible. Hondo inclined his head graciously and turned to Quadoro with an open palm, waiting for snacks. Both Cal and Kore gravitated towards Cere and huddled under her open arms like chicks to a mother hen or athletes summoned to a coach. 

“It could work.” Kore whispered when their faces were close. Despite all the evidence to the contrary Kore still wanted to believe Hondo could help them.

“It's giving him days of opportunity to turn us in.” Cere countered. 

“She's right.” Cal chose a side right away. 

“You're the one who always sees the good in everyone.” She accused him. “Give him another chance, this will work because it's easy for him. He doesn't even have to go out of his way, we're like cargo.” 

“Then how do we get off planet after? Maybe even with an added person.” Cal was optimistic about finding Nu. 

“Cal, everyone knows it's easier to smuggle off of Coruscant than on. You even did it when you were a child.” Kore argued. 

Cal didn't appreciate being reminded of his flight from the Jedi Temple but Kore wasn't wrong. She heard how her words landed after she said them and reached out to touch Cal's arm.

Cere countered “It may have been easier for one child to sneak onto a ship unnoticed rather than three wanted adults. It isn't impossible though and it is the path we're already on. These ships can be pretty fast. Faster than anything I saw in that junkyard.” Cere said, ever practical. She looked to Cal for confirmation as the ship expert when Greez was absent. He nodded his concession.

He felt their eyes on him. He was outnumbered. 

“I just...have a bad feeling about this. I'm not sure he's trustworthy, but alright. If you feel like there's good in him.” Cal ceded. 

“Bad feeling...in the Force?” Kore asked him. 

“No, in the common sense.” He sounded tired.

“Oh, ok good. Then don't worry it's going to be fine.” 

“Ok. Then it's settled.” Cere finalized their decision.

As the group broke apart Kore held onto Cal's arm, pulling them apart from the others. “I'll protect you if things go sideways, my red-haired friend.” She put on her best Quadoro, who could hear them. 

Cal spun on her and held up a pointed finger. A resilient smile cracked through his stern facade. “Don't.” 

“Whaaaaaat? You're my friend! You have red hair!” 

He laughed at her backing away. “No. No, thank you.” Cal pretended to ignore her as he picked up a cup from the tray on the table. 

Hondo unsurprisingly seized an opportunity to make the moment theatrical. “Come, my red-haired friend! Come Jedi companion, and dear little Kore and raise your glasses to this accord with Hondo Ohnaka! It is only blumfruit juice but it will certainly do. To a safe and uneventful journey to Coruscant!” 

Kore didn't expect Cere to take part but she did. Much to Kore's surprise she added “To pirates and smugglers.”

“To pirates and smugglers!” Hondo was over the moon.

There weren't enough cups for everyone and so Cal took a sip and handed his to Kore. She bumped him with her hip and they all gathered around the table. Kore hid her smirk when she took a sip and peered at Cal over the rim of the glass.

“To pirates and smugglers.” she said quietly sharing a glance with her red-haired friend.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> -Before he could begin to regale his lady with his account of the time Cal Kestis threw up on his friend, two mostly full mostly clean glasses slammed down on the bar in front of them.-

Cal would say that it took forever, way too long, for the unlikely ensemble to reach Coruscant. Kore would say he was exaggerating. That it wasn't so bad and he would have to practice patience. Cere tried to say as little as possible, choosing always to stay out of their squabbles. It actually took several days that had passed, as Hondo's toast predicted, uneventfully.

When Cere had shared the plan with the remainder of the Mantis crew they only objected a little at being left behind. It made Greez nervous to be so out of reach but that was something he had prepared to face when they first hatched the plan. One that had been constantly changing. Greez Dritus was surprisingly more adaptable than he was expected to be by those who knew him. Either way Merrin would tell them later that he sat at the comm panel waiting for word from them like a fretting parent.

While in general Merrin craved adventure and could even be quite useful on this mission she didn't exactly flourish in the tight spaces of city landscapes. The wide open barrens of Dathomir stretched out in direct contrast to the tight sometimes gruesome alleyways of Coruscant. Her senses were trained to be very in tune with her environment and so they had discovered the hard way that overpopulated urban settings did not suit her very well. She pretended nonchalance but regularly asked Greez if he'd received any word from the others while they were away. 

BD-1 was completely incensed at being left behind a second time. While the little droid loved each member of the crew in his own way, it irked him to be left with the only two individuals that had the smallest understanding of Binary and most of all he missed Cal. In his own opinion it was too long for a boy to be parted from his droid. What would they do if a zipline was their only escape from a hairy situation? Would they just abandon chests unopened? Just walk away from locked doors? The thought was indecent.

The reality was that Cere herself would have also stayed behind if her contact wasn't so jumpy. The fewer people that needed quiet passage off the bustling planet the better. In all ways it was mandatory to remain discreet and as Cere had previously stated this was the path they were already on, with the team they already had. Three Jedi- Two and half Jedi- One Jedi padawan, one self-exiled Jedi, and one Jedi researcher was more than enough for the reconnaissance and perhaps recovery of a single person. 

The Golden Goose, Kore later learned was the designation of Hondo's ship, was not spacious for a frigate but it did have a crew barracks of a sort where Cere,Cal and Kore joined Quadoro. Hondo of course enjoyed the luxury of the Captain's quarters. The dormitory consisted of several rows of Spartan looking bunks fastened to the walls. Rather crude but standard. 

It was the final morning of their travels on the Golden Goose, mere hours before their descent onto Cosruscant. Cere unseated Quadoro as copilot and took up her space in the cockpit, asserting that the landing codes processed without incident. Hondo relished the company of a dashing and capable woman over his old pal Quadoro. The ousted copilot busied himself by arranging the most lavish morning meal he could manage under the circumstances. He stretched elementary supplies, meant to sustain two travelers to feed five and somehow he did it with panache. 

The youngest passengers delayed their start of the day, taking their time in the dormitory. More accurately it was Kore that deferred. She was in danger of missing breakfast at the current rate.

Kore sat up, in the topmost of three bunks, with the starchy standard sheet wrapped around her shoulders and covering her head as she watched Cal dress himself in his worn adventuring regalia. She bounced her sockless foot over the bedside as Cal fastened the leather strap across his chest lamenting the missing weight of BD-1, who would normally hang from it on his back. He didn't mention it. 

The beds were board-like and not at all alluring but Kore still struggled to leave the small comfort it provided. After he was dressed to satisfaction Cal turned to study his counterpart who peeped out at him from a small hole she allowed in her blanket garb. 

“You should probably start getting dressed.” He stated the obvious. Kore pointed her exposed toe at him like an accusing finger inches away from his nose. 

“I don't want to,” she started like an obtuse child but then continued “but you might be right.” Before she emerged from the closed sheet like a blooming flower Cal grabbed her exposed foot and planted a kiss on top of it. 

“Your foot is like ice!” He rubbed his chilled lips as Kore slid from the top bunk into his arms, taking the sheet with her. Her pillow thudded to the floor in the waterfall of bedding that came after her.

“It's because I've slept all alone! No one to rub my cold toes on while I sleep. I'm like a reptile, Cal, I need a heat rock person.” She pretended to wilt in his arms. 

“I'm so flattered.” He laughed at her when she touched the cold red tip of her nose to his neck making him jump. 

“I know, it's a lot to ask.” Kore humored him as she buried her face sapping the warmth from him. She ran her hand up his arm and they turned their heads in unison when they heard the noise of something small dropping to the floor. The silken armband she had made for him coiled at their feet in a small purple heap. 

“Damn. I can never seem to tie this tight enough with one hand. I don't know how this is the first time it's fallen off. I've been so nervous about losing it.” 

They both bent to pick it up but Kore scooped it up before he did. 

“That's because someone is supposed to help. Here, let me.” Kore efficiently wound the band tight around Cal's bicep and tucked the ends into the neat circle it formed. The small wooden beads hung on in their set pattern but were becoming loose as the days went on. They wiggled enticingly when Cal moved. Kore gave his arm and the band a satisfied pat when she was finished. 

“You know, when I was with Saw Gerrera he mentioned it.”

“Oh?” It was silly at this point to blush at being found out but Kore still felt a warmth color her cheeks. She busied herself with the various belts and holsters she might need for the day's tasks, ignoring Cal's foolish gaze.

Cal tilted his head while examining her knowingly. “He said it's a traditional design from Onderon.” 

“He's right.” She confirmed matter-of-factually, paying careful attention to face away from him as she shook the wrinkles out of her overshirt. 

“Then I noticed that it's kind of different from the bracelets you made for everyone.”

“So?” Kore deadpanned. It was so frustrating to be teased by this man. 

“It just made me feel a little special, maybe. Especially after Saw told me it's a trinket for lovers.” He whispered the last word in a comically erotic tone that was the least sensual thing Kore had ever heard. She scowled at him with her hands in her hair winding it up in braids preparing for the day.

“No he didn't.” She couldn't imagine Saw Gerrera had nothing better to do than talk fashion with Cal. 

“Mhm.” He was both obnoxious and charmingly smug as he leaned back on his elbows on the bottom bunk opposite from where she stood. “When were you going to tell me that I was walking around with your stamp on me?” 

They were together, indisputably, but she still felt embarrassed about making it too obvious. Especially when they discussed the times before. Kore hid behind a raised hand to cover the redness of her face. 

“I don't know why I did that. I mean, I do. I did it because ….I didn't want to tell you. I didn't want you ...to KNOW. But I ...did? Why are you doing this to me? You know why I made that for you. Terrible man.” 

Cal wasn't sure now if his playful teasing had crossed into a territory where her discomfort was real. He sat up and pulled Kore to stand in front of him. He pulled her hands away from her face and put them on his as he looked up into her eyes. 

“I wish you'd made it sooner. Kore, I want you to put this armband on me every morning until it breaks down into strings. Tie it to my bones when I'm dead.” He could be so dramatic, but still, Kore's heart grew too big for her chest. She didn't know what to say but he looked as though he wasn't expecting a response. 

For Kore, actions have always spoken louder than words and so she wrapped his arms around her waist and sunk down onto his lap. She nuzzled her head on his before pulling away just enough to take in each of his features one at a time.

She rubbed her nose into the soft skin of Cal's cheek, right above the place where his scratchy facial hair began to sprout. More tactile than the tip of any finger, Kore ran her lips up and down over the short neon orange stubble along the curve of his jaw. She filled her lungs with the clean freshness of his skin up against the musty smell of his tattered clothes singed on almost every edge from years of being showered in welding sparks. Kore's fingertips ran through his hair, each strand softer than fine Onderonian silk. She could never know how to put into words the deep replenishment she received from these things about him.

She made her feelings plain in her own language and Cal was learning to read it for himself. Though as much as he adored how easy it was to make Kore blush, he hoped she would eventually grow accustomed to his flattery and believe it for herself. 

She would never understand how he could be so blatant and speak so plainly about his feelings for her but when Master Tapal or even some of his time on Bracca would come up Cal's language was reduced to mere nods and huffs. The only thing she knew about Prauf was that he was kind and that he died. Without him telling her, Kore knew Cal believed it was his fault. 

Kore's own inclination to express these matters were a mirrored version of his. She felt that it was critical to discuss his trauma and her own as well, to lighten to heavy load of such a burden. And while he waxed poetic about his eternal love for her, Kore could barely say the words aloud. She felt as nervous and flustered now as she had when they were still accidentally brushing passed one another, not so long but still a lifetime ago.

Kore would never press Cal to share more than he was comfortable with and she hoped that each time he did there would be just a few more words than the time before. And Cal would gladly pour his bleeding heart at Kore's feet with no expectations that she would do that same. They complimented each other this way. 

They hadn't thought it was possible but the Golden Goose afforded the couple even less privacy than the Mantis. Kore pulled away from Cal sharply when Quadoro, who had apparently entered the room, scolded them soundly. 

“Get off my bed with that!” He shooed them away like chickens and Cal bumped his head on the bunk above in his haste to remove himself. He was always knocking his poor head on everything. 

The irate Weequay began to smooth his hands over the disturbed surface of his crisply made bed. “You humans putting your DNA all over the place. Go eat the breakfast I made for you. As if that wasn't enough you take my place in the cockpit and you sully my bed. Go on with you!” 

“DNA!? We weren't doing anyth-” Kore tried to defend them but Cal just shouted an apology and made the swiftest exit he could, pulling Kore with him out the door. 

Quadoro was normally agreeable in most ways. Apparently the Golden Goose was only big enough for its crew of two and putting up half the Mantis team for a few days was putting stress on the limits of the ousted Co-pilot's hospitality. Thankfully they had begun their descent into a Cosruscant docking bay and soon their time with Hondo Ohnaka would only be fodder for stories to tell over warm drinks shared with friends in the future.

When they departed the Goose, the Mantis crew did their best to appear grateful, which they were, without seeming desperate to part, which they were. Hondo did his best to make the separation as emotional as possible wherein he was denied most ardently by Kore.

“Good luck with Crimson Dawn you two. And be careful.” Kore warned a final time. Hondo had made a point to mention the long chain of business deals they were about to embark on but Kore couldn't shake the feeling that their good luck would soon run out where Crimson Dawn was concerned.

“Ah, should I say may the Force be with you?” he said with humor in his voice. Hondo inclined his head, lifted his shoulders and left to meet with Dryden Vos's representative, Qi'ra. He called a good-natured goodbye over his shoulder as he and Quadoro faded into the crowded street. 

Coruscant was a planet of levels that went from pristine, sharp and businesslike on the surface to increasingly more sordid, filthy, and congested the deeper one traveled to the planet's core. On the upper levels of Cosurscant skyscrapers pierced the sky amognst sprawling courtyards and interconnected walkways made to emphasize the supreme authority of the guiding forces of the galaxy. It was a single planet made to appear divided though it was united in the moral ambiguity of its dealings. On every layer of the Galactic Empire's Capital planet, what mattered most was who you know and what they could do for you. 

After Cere met with her contact she remained in a cantina near the public docking bays in hopes of securing their ride off planet while Cal and Kore descended level after level to the location provided by Cere's source. Unsurprisingly, it was another Cantina. They had left Cere in a place where merchant captains and pilots refueled their vessels and their flasks. Compared to where Cal and Kore were headed it looked like a palace on Naboo. 

The further one traveled from Coruscant's surface the greater the need for law enforcement and the less it could be found. This worked to the Jedi pair's advantage as they had been forced to change course and retrace their steps several times as they passed important looking officials and even patrolling stormtroopers. However as their descent advanced Kore began to notice more eyes on them than ever. Bounty hunters were harder to identify and possibly everywhere. Kore pulled her hood tight around her. She pressumed that Cal may have had a similar thought as he reached behind him for her hand in an effort to stay close.

As the pair rounded a final corner they were surprised by the flash of white helmets that set Kore's pulse racing. Four armed stormtroopers and two shock troopers parted the sea of people in the crowded street, purple energy crackling on the edges of their weapons. The soldiers pressed unfortunate passers by up against the walls making way for their important business of exerting authority. If they were searching for any particular people or just throwing weight around, Kore didn't want to hear of it. Panic set in as they drew near and the path behind the two was swallowed up by the thick knitting of bodies in the crowd. 

She ignored the “Hey! You two!” and opted instead to pull Cal into a small shadowed space between two buildings she hadn't noticed until she needed to. They could be talking to anyone. 

The thumping of military issued plasteel boots grew closer when Kore pulled the sides of Cal's hood close to her own and buried her face into his. For authenticity's sake she funneled all her attention into the activity before her. Kore was flooded with adrenaline that thumped in her ears. Fueled by the intensity of the moment, what started off as a classic kiss to hide your face situation quickly became something else for them both.

The scared and clumsy energy that brought their mouths together filled with heat as the world around them fell away. If the troopers stopped to look down the alley at or past the common sight of canoodling youngsters, Kore didn't know. 

This was the first time the couple had been alone, really alone, in what felt like weeks. Beside a literal sea of people going about their business, Kore and Cal felt like they had a moment to enjoy one another privately in a way they couldn't for so long. Over the din of people hustling and bustling passed their private hallway all Kore could hear was wet smacks of their lips and as she dipped her tongue into Cal's mouth he let out a sigh that was thunder in her ears. Her hands were frantic and she pulled Cal flush against her. Obviously there was a limit they would reach and stop there. They couldn't very well...do THAT here in this puddle of what Kore hoped was dirty water they both stood in. 

As the thought of what else the puddle might consist of crossed her mind, Kore was about to put on the brakes before the lines they were crossing at lightning speed became harder and harder to come back from. Cal parted her knees using his own and slid his thigh up between Kore's legs with a terrible pressure. 

Without thinking Kore gripped Cal's shoulders and slid herself up his leg submitting to an aching grind. Cal's grasp on her hip would surely leave a mark. Kore forgot to breathe as a wave of throbbing dizziness passed over her. 

“How much?! That's robbery!” An unsatisfied shopper shouted above the cacophony of the world going on mere feet away from where they stood. Kore startled and their teeth clacked together in the most uncomfortable way. Kore caught her lip on the bottom of Cal's front tooth and a small welt formed almost instantly. She sucked on it as Cal pressed his forehead into the cold plaster of the filthy wall he had pressed her up against. Surely, they were cursed. Condemned forever to the worst possible timing in the galaxy.

“I just missed you.” Cal uttered in a thick voice. Kore could feel just how hard Cal was- IT was for Cal to step away from her. She let the back of her head tap the wall, not quite ready to stand completely on her own. She looked at Cal drunk with lust in her eyes. 

“We've been together the whole time. This entire journey.” 

“I know but... I missed you. I missed that.This.” His tone was sweet but his eyes were devilish. He made to slide his hand around Kore's waist but she shoved him lightly. He still hit the wall just behind him. 

“Me too” she said smiling. “Come on the cantina is right around the corner.” She couldn't stop herself from giving Cal a quick peck before she melted into the flow of the busy street that ran with the current of a river past their little crack in the universe. She hoped that Cal had wiped the dazed look off his face and followed close behind her. 

The cantina interior was dimly lit. Kore's eyes adjusted slowly to the low light as her other senses were assaulted. The smell of spilled ferment oozed off every surface and the scratchy sound of poorly recorded music floated on the stale air. It muddled with the raucous clamor of patrons and loiterers that packed the small dark string of rooms. Roving colored lights lit up the darkest corners intermittently. 

As they filed through the throng Kore spoke over her shoulder to Cal. 

“Stay cool. We go to places like this all the time. Fit right in.” When in fact her rigid uncomfortable posture alone set Kore apart from the other patrons. They headed straight for the bar and nonchalantly took up two spaces while they waited for the overwhelmed bartender's attention to fall on them. 

Cal let his hood fall back slightly as at a certain point a deliberately disguised person is more suspicious than not. When he caught the barkeep's gaze he tapped the bar top twice and raised two fingers in the air, requesting drinks for himself and Kore wordlessly. She looked at him with curiosity playing plainly across her face. It wasn't that he ordered the drinks it was how he ordered them.

“Have to fit in, right?” He explained even tho she hadn't asked. Cal was pressed to continue when Kore's look was unabated. His head wagged side to side before he continued “There was a cantina kinda like this one on Bracca. Prauf would take me sometimes after a long day. There wasn't a lot to do on Bracca.” 

“I never imagined that you were the ...type to imbibe, y'know?” She glanced around the room looking for the person to engage. There was always a person who knew everyone's business and in dreadfully cliché places like this one, they were easily spotted.

“Oh, no I didn't. Well once. I got so sick, it was awful.” He laughed at himself and then grimaced as the details returned to him one after another. Kore was intrigued and she let out a small gleeful noise, distracted from her task. 

“Please tell me the story.” Kore bounced in her sticky seat, a giddy schoolgirl. Cal was powerless to deny her when Kore grinned at him that way. When she fluttered her butterfly lashes at him it was easy to forget they were in the cantina for a reason, but what was it again?

Before he could begin to regale his lady with his account of the time Cal Kestis threw up on his friend two mostly full, mostly clean glasses slammed down on the bar in front of them. 

The bartender before them was not at all the one Cal had placed their order with. The young woman's confident no nonsense stance and bright but tired eyes weighed and measured the two and Kore was instinctively rattled. The person who knew everyone's business had instead spotted them.

She stood slowly preparing for the worst while Cal's fingers clenched and flexed while they waited for her to say something, anything. 

“What do we owe you?” Kore asked maintaining a level voice. 

The smug and mysterious woman smiled like a predator asking its prey for last words.

“First rounds on the house, Kestis.” The young woman directed the answer to Kore's question at Cal. 

Kore's heart beat quicker than a hummingbird's. She put a hand on Cal's arm, his face was grave.

He swallowed and cleared his throat waiting for the words to flow but all cleverness fled.

“Shit.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "As soon as she turned away and Cal was spared her discerning gaze his face was overcome with disgust and he scraped his tongue over his teeth in an effort to remove the acrid taste of the hard alcohol from his mouth. Kore would have been incredibly charmed if not for the overwhelming possibility of being captured and tortured then killed waiting for them in the next room. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking it out with me! It's almost over! I don't want to make any promises but I kinda have their whole lives mapped out in a series of more fics that live only in my head. At this point I'm just trying to close this out half coherently. Please enjoy and thank you as ALWAYS for reading and commenting. Love you!

The raucous energy of the cantina sounded off around the three figures. They stood at an impasse with the bartender's words hanging heavily in the air. The space between them was fraught with a tension that no other patrons noticed or cared to investigate. It was perhaps a regular occurrence for high pressures to pass between customers and staff. 

Kore's stillness did nothing to betray the high speed at which her mind raced. She said his name. How did she know his name? They weren't careful enough. This is obviously who they came to see but Cere never used names. They should have been more careful.

Kore hadn't seen any wanted posters which was a good sign. She did spot a few screens with choppy footage of Cal in the arena on Ordo Eris but luckily his face wasn't discernible. The crew of the Stinger Mantis was full of fugitives but she had yet to see any of their faces in the fractured blue rendering of the holonet. Most likely the Haxion Brood had wanted the matter to remain internal, for now. Red lights were going off in Kore's mind. 

“Do we know each other?” Cal finally broke the silence. His voice was full of trepidation and more serious than Kore had ever heard. She would never describe Cal as threatening, knowing him the way she did it seemed impossible. This was the closest she ever saw him get.

The bartender held back a tuft of her full curly hair to lean toward him candidly. 

“Jedi drink for free in my bar.” She was cocky and seemed to enjoy the power of suspending her dumbfounded patrons in perilous limbo. 

With swift movements the woman nudged Cal's glass closer to his deceptively calm grasp. She took up the glass Kore thought was hers and knocked her head back downing it in one gulp. Apparently this moment was passing only between Cal and the stranger. Kore observed their unbroken gaze silently and she tamped down the irritation that bubbled in her chest.

Cal's eyes darted from the haughty woman to the shot glass in his hand and back again. He slammed back the drink and maintained a dignified expression even though his throat cried out. A brilliant smile instantly stretched across the woman's face and with it the energy of the entire confrontation shifted. 

“Atta boy. Good lad.” She reached over the bar to clap him on the shoulder. Her friendly demeanor did nothing to unclench Kore's gut and Cal's face relaxed only slightly. 

“Come on then. Let's talk.” With a gesture the woman indicated for them to follow her behind a dingy curtain peppered in grease stains that she held to one side. As soon as she turned away and Cal was spared by discerning gaze his face was overcome with disgust and he scraped his tongue over his teeth in an effort to remove the acrid taste of the hard alcohol from his mouth. Kore would have been incredibly charmed if not for the overwhelming possibility of being captured and tortured then killed waiting for them in the next room. He ghosted a reassuring hand over her lower back as he passed through the threshold into a dreary supply room, still shaking his the taste from his mouth. 

Kore spared one more glance back over her shoulder when she noticed for the first time, a very large statue at the front of the room. A large smooth round of granite suggested a slug-like shape. The lower half of it was marked in numerous layers of grafiti. How could she have missed that when they came in? 

In a line of three with the mysterious young woman at the head, they passed through a string of shabby rooms and a kitchen. Employees flit by and cast nary a glance in their direction. As she passed, the woman tapped a cook on the shoulder who looked up from his work at the group. The twi'lek put down his cleaver and fell into step behind them. Kore spared him a small glance over her shoulder. Nothing about Cal's demeanor changed although he looped his thumb into his belt keeping it close to his hidden lightsaber. 

Their sojourn ended in a small space. Calling it an office would be generous. The only difference from the rooms before it was a small desk and a stack of folding chairs. Before she took a seat behind the desk the young woman handed two folded seats to Cal and Kore. Kore unfolded hers clumsily and Cal leaned his against the wall, preferring to stand. Inwardly, Kore wished she had done the same but hadn't considered the option. More and more she was feeling out of place.

The giant and silent twi'lek stood rooted like a tall lanky sapling behind the woman's chair.

“So, it's obvious that you don't remember us.” She steepled her fingers and lifted her feet up onto the desk in front of her. 

“Should I?” Cal intoned, shifting his glance back and forth between the two figures.

“I guess not really. I suppose my feelings are just a little hurt since I recognized you right away. You should be more careful by the way. You're not exactly hard to spot.” She laughed to herself. With a small wave she gestured towards Cal's hair. “We used to call you Little Red. Remember?” She started off talking to Cal but ended up looking to her counterpart for confirmation. He nodded but said nothing, arms crossed over his chest. 

She turned back to Cal “Well, not to your face.” 

Cal examined the young woman and searched his memory but came up empty handed. For the life of him he had no idea who this person was. She preened under his scrutiny and grimaced when Cal shook his head apologetically.

“Who are you?” Kore stole the words out of Cal's mouth. She'd felt strung along the sidelines long enough and this mysterious person was having too much fun at their expense. It was time for answers. 

“Tai” She smiled wide showcasing a row of very fine teeth and a dimple. “Uzuma. And this brooding hill is Sammo Quid.” She stood and clapped Quid on the shoulder affectionately. He shifted his weight from foot to foot clearly uncomfortable as the topic of discussion. 

“Okay, and how do you know me?” Cal was still weary. 

Kore stood slowly and awkwardly, not wanting to be the only one still seated. Tai flexed her fingers outward and Kore's chair wiggled in place before it lifted into a neat fold and rested itself against the wall. 

“Hey! Still got it.” She swelled with satisfaction. “Sammo and I were younglings in the Jedi temple. A year or two behind you but we were just about to become padawans when the Purge happened.” 

With this new information in mind Kore looked at the pair again. Really looked at them, and although Tai spoke with the wizened confidence of a veteran barkeep she was in fact quite young. Sammo was large and, like Cal, bedecked in scars and marks from his full life but the skin on his face was youthful and unmarred save for the dark circles under his eyes. Maybe trouble sleeping was a uniting commonality of Jedi survivors.

Ok so these weren't the Jedi they were looking for specifically but it couldn't be chance that led them to two more survivors of Order 66.

Cal's shoulders relaxed somewhat and his tension was replaced with excitement. “How did you survive?” 

“Same way you did I think. We hid. Scattered into the city. There were three of us but then just me and Sammo. Never found out what happened to Caleb. There's tons of orphans on Corsucant. We were just drops in the bucket.” Uzuma spoke so plainly as though the memory of it all didn't even sting. Cal felt a twang of jealousy at how unaffected she seemed by the great tragedy of her life. 

The only inkling of emotion from her was a small look she shared with Sammo who blinked affectionately at her like a lothcat. In a flash the moment was over, if it had ever been. 

All the survivors of the Purge that Kore had met were tight lipped on the matter and so she had expected Tai's story to end there. She was surprised and found it refreshing when Tai continued unprompted. 

“Believe it or not there are some good people here though. The owner of this cantina found us eating garbage in the alley and he gave us work. He left the Granite Slug to us when he died.” That explained out of place amorphous statue up front. “I run the front and Sammo does the food. It's honest work and it keeps us off the radar and out of trouble. Well, most of the time.” Tai's smile lit up her face with a mischief that was both enticing and troublesome.

“Wow. It's amazing that you've stuck together. You're lucky to have had each other.” Kore thought of the dispersed survivors like Cal that were lucky enough to make it but unlucky to have to do it alone.

“Yeah....lucky isn't the first word that comes to mind but, I guess.” Tai proffered. She looked at Kore as though she was noticing her for the first time. 

“Have you encountered any other survivors? We're looking for someone.” Kore asked. 

“Maybe. Who are you looking for? Also, who are you?” Her tone was guarded but had no malice. Apparently being with Cal was enough to make her privy to the private telling of Tai and Sammo's story without knowing her name but the courtesy ended there.

“Right! There didn't seem like a good time to interject so I...Kore. I'm Kore.” She blathered.

“Just Kore?” 

“Dendup.” When she answered Cal's snapped back slightly. It shocked him to realize he didn't know Kore's last name. She had never offered it up and he forgot to ask. How silly.

“Ok, and how do you two ...” Her pointed finger wagged back and forth between Cal and Kore. She didn't need to finish the question.

“Cal and I are on the same crew.” Kore offered.

“Kore is a Jedi too. Exploration corp.” Cal beamed proudly. Kore thought sometimes that what people heard rather than Exploration Corp was failed Knight, but not Cal. These days she cared less about what other people heard.

“Alright, and what is it the two of you are looking for in our cantina?” 

“We received information that there's a woman using the force here on Coruscant and Kore had a vision of Jocasta Nu fighting Darth Vader so she must have survived. We thought maybe we'd find her here.” Cal condensed weeks into a few sentences.

“The Librarian? She helped us escape from the temple.” Tai noted. Sammo had yet to utter a single word and up until now his face was rather expressionless. The mention of Nu made his lekku twitch. When Kore noticed he draped one across the opposite shoulder, the emotionless veil set back in place. 

“You think she's alive after you saw her tangle with Vader?” Tai's tone made Kore feel naive but the feeling evaporated when she looked at Cal. She gave him a small smile and her chest swelled with pride. He had survived. Cere had, even BD-1 had. She didn't mention it just now; Jedi are supposed to be humble. 

They hadn't won necessarily but escape from Vader is its own kind of victory. It wasn't an inevitable death sentence to encounter the galaxy's boogeyman, though Cal had come close. She didn't like to think about that. 

“Well, I didn't see how the fight ended. The way she stood up to him...anything is possible.” Kore justified their mission and Cal reinforced it. 

“He's not invincible, even the Emperor. They're just people, powerful people. If Jocasta Nu could stand up to Vader alone imagine if we all did.” there was light in his voice. “It's incredible we found you two. Imagine how many more of us could have survived. If we joined together-” 

“She's dead.” All heads turned when Sammo spoke and the sentiment expired in Cal's mouth. Even Tai seemed surprised. They waited for him to continue but it seemed he had no intention to. 

“How do you know that?” It was Kore that engaged. Sammo looked away from the expectant eyes as though he wished he had never opened his mouth. 

“Vader killed her.” His deep voice echoed with finality. Even though it was the first Tai had hear of it, she lifted her hands and shoulders into the air as though to say “I told you so” without being guilty of the words.

“That's what happens when you stand up to the Emperor's attack dog.” Tai apparently was a glass half empty sort of person. “You could have told me though, Sammo. How long have you known?” 

“A while. It's not our business anymore.” He flicked a small crumb of food off his apron. “Gar told me before he left.” Both Cal and Kore looked to Tai for explanation. 

“Gar used to work in the Jedi archives. He was her assistant.” 

“You all kept in contact with each other? That seems risky.” Kore observed. 

“Not on purpose. Gar liked to drink. He was like any other customer. We never talked about all that other stuff, not even the Librarian. Haven't seen him in a while now that I think about it though.” Tai scratched her head thoughtfully. 

Kore couldn't help the sinking feeling in her chest. She leaned on the desk for support and stared at her feet as the world around her began to melt away.

So Jocasta Nu was dead, before they even got here. Why would the Force choose to show Nu in danger if she couldn't be saved? Or as a banner to rally behind when she was already dead? Was it to lead them to these two? Why not show them instead? The questions were pummeling Kore at an alarming pace. She was frustrated and felt mislead by the Force. Once again she had placed all her faith in it and been led astray. 

Her mind cataloged all the travel and the strife, the death and the injuries they had acquired and doled out over the past few weeks for nothing. To be told in the back room of a hole in the wall on the lowest levels of Coruscant that they had misinterpreted a dream she had. Kore's downward spiral was halted when Cal put his hand on her arm jolting her back to the present.

Kore's disoriented gaze landed on Cal's concerned face. She swallowed hard. 

“This changes a lot.” She sounded despondent. For a moment the air was heavy as the four figures stood quietly apart. Then a loud crash sounded from a short distance away, glass shattering and a few hard thuds. 

Tai took a few steps toward the door and Sammo followed behind her. 

“We have to-” she pointed down the hallway, “we'll be back. You maybe need a few minutes to talk anyway.” As she faded into the series of rooms leading to the storefront Sammo stopped with his hand on the doorknob. 

“You can sleep here tonight if you need to. We'll feed you. But then you have to go.” He didn't wait for a response before he closed the door gently behind him with a soft click. 

“I can't believe it was all for nothing. I mean, of course this was a possibility. There was never any concrete evidence that Nu was alive. How could I have been so ready to commit to this wild bantha chase with so little to go on?” The analytical side of Kore's brain flooded her with shame. Cal crossed over to her and tugged on her sleeve until she relented towards him. Kore felt prickly and disappointed. She fought the contact initially but sank into Cal's chest once she was there. 

“It hasn't been for nothing.” He spoke into her hair. “We trusted in the Force and it led us to survivors. That's pretty amazing. Don't get upset just because it didn't work out the way you thought it would.” He pulled his head back to look her in the eye.“When has it ever?”

With her arms still wrapped around his waist Kore narrowed her eyes before answering, the smallest hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “When did you get so wise, Master Jedi?” 

Cal's ears turned pink and a small space opened between them when he leaned on the desk. 

“Maybe Nu's defiance was the message. Maybe these two are who we're supposed to find.”

“Her defiance is what got her killed. And these two don't want to fight the Empire. They seem content, I think, in this place. They found some peace, sort of.” 

“Nu was alone. We're stronger together than we are apart. And it's only a matter of time until they see that there isn't any peace hiding from the Empire.” For someone with no answers, he had a response for everything. Him and his obnoxiously fathomless well of optimism. It was another reason to marvel at Cal Kestis, especially when his life could be described as a series of one tragedy after another. Why couldn't he just let her wallow in self-doubt?

“Maybe maybe maybe. I have to say I'm really tired of trying to decipher the will of the Force.” She tread a few paces back and forth while nibbling on her cuticles. Cal wanted to pull her hand from her mouth but he wouldn't dare keep her from the bad habit he was guilty of himself.

“Kore Dendup, you think too much.” He hoped his joke would curtail the miasma of Kore's thoughts but she persisted.

“Exactly! Why can't we just live? Why do we have to trust in the Force and worry at all about its will? I want to fight the Empire because they need to be fought not because its what the Force wants from me.”

“That sounds like the same thing to me. Why's it so bad if that's what the Force wants for you?” Cal asked. He shook his head as he watched her tug on the thread of a massive philosophical tapestry, desperate to unravel it. Free will vs the will of the Force. Agency vs fate. They could be here for hours. 

“Because it leads me astray! We'd still be on Bogano if it wasn't for my vision. It's gotten us nowhere.” Kore said flatly. Cal sometimes enjoyed how obstinate she could be. 

“It got me off Bracca. It brought me to you.” Cal's tone was flowery. He would try every angle to show Kore that they weren't in a bad way.

“Cere did all that. Her tip brought us here too.” A thought struck Kore like a bolt of lightning and she put a hand up, halting Cal's retort. He always had a retort. 

“The tip. They said there was a female force user in the depths of Coruscant. If it wasn't Nu they were talking about then...” 

Cal slowly straightened as he recalled Tai's display of levitating the chair. How excited and ready she was for an opportunity to show off her powers. Obviosuly it was Sammo's discretion that had kept them under the radar for so long.

As though on cue, a crash even louder than the one that called Tai and Sammo away. As the one closest to the door Kore stepped lightly into the hallway leading up front. She peaked through an opening in the curtain trying to scope out as much of the room as possible even though she was only to take in a sliver of the scene. It was enough. 

Kore's heart stuck in her throat and when Cal came up close behind her to see for himself it was by the grace of the Force itself that she didn't yelp.

The purge and storm troopers had found their way into the bar and they began lining up patrons and employees alike. Their numbers had doubled in the time Kore had seen them on the street. 

Over indignant shouts of bar patrons and the snapping live energy of the trooper's weapons the crackling speakers played the song from the arena. It didn't play well into the tightly wound tension of the moment. Troopers stalked back and forth, forcing folk into an orderly lineup. For all the trouble Cal encountered when he heard that song he couldn't stop himself from enjoying it. 

The modulated voice of the lead trooper sounded out as he patrolled up and down the line with his hands folded neatly behind his back. 

“Nobody moves and nobody has to get hurt!” He spun on his heel, “I've followed a rumor to this establishment. Word has it there are Jedi on Coruscant. Traitors right under our noses! Imagine the gall.” 

It was Bracca all over again. A shudder passed through Cal as Kore tapped his shoulder and pointed his gaze towards the bar. 

Tai and Sammo both stood behind the counter with their hands raised in the air, blasters leveled at theit bellies. The glass on the wall behind them sport a fractured web of shatter. There was a spatter of red on the edge of the bar and a Trandoshan lying on the floor underneath it, a small puddle spread from his slack mouth of sharp teeth. Tai was brimming with rage. Sammo's expression betrayed nothing of his feelings though a bright sheen had begun to shine on his powder blue forehead. 

The arrogant commander stopped to stand between the blasters and the proprietors. Even through the voice modulated helmet his voice was nasal and aristocratic. 

“Anyone that comes forward with information on traitors' whereabouts will be free to go.” He righted a fallen stool and sat on it directly across from Tai. 

“Compliance is paramount to not only your survival,” The Commander in all black armor leaned far over the bar to look Tai directly in the eye and her grimace deepened. “but to everyone's here.” 

In a flash the Empire's lackey reached over the bar and grabbed a fistful of Tai's thick hair and pulled her over halfway. Sammo cast off his flinty restraint and made to launch himself at the offending trooper when suddenly every blaster in the place was trained on him. 

“Sammo, no! Don't!” Tai screamed. With great difficulty he stilled himself as the villain tightened his grip on her.

Every fiber of Kore's being screamed for her to grab Cal and make for the kitchen exit. She didn't see it but there was almost always an exit through every kitchen.

It wouldn't happen and she knew it. She didn't even have to look at him to picture Cal's stone set face. When she did she saw the muscles in his jaw feather and his lips quiver in frustration . Kore knew they weren't leaving the Granite Slug without making sure Tai and Sammo were safe, despite knowing them both for less time than it takes to brew tea. That's just how Cal is, BD too. 

So instead of wasting time convincing him to leave with her, Kore was formulating steps two and three of their rescue plan.

“Comm Cere. I'll find a distraction.” she quietly relayed to Cal. Without hesitation he stepped away so as not to be heard as he brought up the communicator on his wrist. 

Sammo growled as the Commander forced Tai onto the floor when he kicked out the back of her knee. The closest trooper clocked the fuming twi'lek in the side of his head with the butt of his blaster. Sammo immediately began to bleed. The air filled with Tai's pained groans. 

Cal returned to Kore's side and nodded reassuringly as he mimicked Kore's questioning thumbs up. She leaned close to whisper in his ear and he nodded again affirming that he understood her. 

The Commander's patience grew taught and was about to snap. “Where. Are. The. JEDI?” He pulled Tai's head so far back she could barely support herself.

Kore took Cal's hand in her own and together they reached out in the Force. The giant and very solid granite statue wiggled slightly as they wrapped their minds around it. It lifted mere inches above its stand and hovered there for a moment. A drunk patron pressed up against the wall seemed to notice it and tapped the person beside him but was ignored. 

It dropped suddenly with a loud thud that may have cracked the floor as both Kore and Cal's concentration was broken. Tai had had enough it seemed. 

“I'm right HERE!” She shouted as she grabbed her captor's elbow and twisted his arm behind his back. Only she could hear the crack of his shoulder. Sammo was forgotten as the other troopers were shocked by her gameness, unsure where to aim. 

It frightened them when Tai lifted several inches off the ground. Her knees drew into her chest and for a moment all the sound was sucked out of the room. It was a moment of deafening silence that exploded as waves of invisible power emanated from Tai herself. As she stretched out her limbs troopers and patrons alike were sent careening away from her in every direction by one powerful gust. 

Kore picked her jaw up off the floor “Ok forget the distraction. Time to go!” She shouted to Sammo who had already scooped Tai's exhausted form off the ground in the mayhem that followed. 

“This way!” Sammo ran passed them and into the kitchen. She knew it, there's always a way out through the kitchen.


End file.
